Newcastle United are considering a swoop for Lazio defender Alessio Romagnoli but could face competition from Fulham and Brighton and Hove Albion.
The Italian, 29, spent much of his career at AS Roma and AC Milan before joining Lazio in 2022. While injuries have hindered his progress under Maurizio Sarri at Lazio, he is 29 and the quality is undeniably still there. The central defender has featured only 19 times so far this season, chipping in with one assist.
Alessio Romagnoli has a contract that runs until 2017 and is currently fully focused on Lazio, although he hasn’t ruled out a move abroad in his career. The ex-Serie A winner’s desire to play outside of Italy has gone unnoticed, with Newcastle United reportedly among a few Premier League clubs monitoring his situation at Lazio.
Alessio Romagnoli on the radar of Newcastle United
Newcastle United enjoyed a successful 2022/23 campaign and also qualified for the Champions League due to their rock-solid defence. They conceded only 33 times throughout the Premier League campaign, as Eddie Howe’s side proved a tough nut to crack for the opposition. However, that same solidity at the back has been missing this season.
This is largely due to key defenders Sven Botman and Dan Burn suffering injuries at certain stages of the ongoing campaign, hampering the stability and balance of the Magpies as a result. Fabian Schar has been Newcastle’s standout defender this time around, and while Jamaal Lascelles deputised well in the absence of Botman, there is a lack of quality depth in the centre-back department.
Perhaps, this is why Newcastle are keen on Lazio’s Alessio Romagnoli. A leader at the back, a crisp passer of the ball and strong in the air, Romagnoli would instantly lift the quality of the Magpies’ defensive unit. The 29-year-old is a seasoned campaigner with experience of playing at the highest level in Europe. The Italy international isn’t the quickest of centre-backs but compensates for his lack of pace with positional awareness and reading of the game.
At 29, Romagnoli is not getting any younger and the time could be perfect to try a new adventure outside of Serie A. Given the centre-back’s desire to test himself in the Premier League, it won’t be surprising if he pushes to leave Lazio should Newcastle make a tempting offer during this transfer window.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
