Lazio Pondering January Move for Forgotten Torino Midfielder

Lazio could revive their interest in Torino benchwarmer Ivan Ilic as they look to bolster their midfield ranks in January.

Following his return to the club last summer, Maurizio Sarri was promised several squad reinforcements, and chief among them was a new midfielder. However, the Aquile’s summer plans went down the drain as the club was slapped with a transfer ban. Nevertheless, Lazio president Claudio Lotito is confident he’ll rectify the situation and lift the ban before the January transfer window.

According to Il Messaggero, Sarri has requested the arrival of two or three new players in January, and one of them will almost certainly be a midfielder. As the source explains, the manager is keen to add a box-to-box midfielder who’s also capable of scoring goals, as Fisayo Dele-Bashiru wasn’t able to perform this particular task.

The Roman newspaper recalls how Lazio were pursuing Bologna’s Giovanni Fabbian before the transfer ban, but the Italian will likely command a large figure in January. Therefore, the Biancocelesti could instead resort to Ivan Ilic, who has been unable to secure a starting role under Marco Baroni.

The 24-year-old is a Manchester City youth product who has been plying his trade in Italy since joining Hellas Verona in the summer of 2020. The Serbian is a pupil of Ivan Juric, so he later followed the Croatian manager to Torino in January 2023. However, his role at the club has been reduced as of late, as Kristjan Asllani and Cesare Casadei are ahead of him in the pecking order.

Ilici has only made three Serie A appearances this season, two as a starter. His contract with the Granata is valid until June 2027.