Arijon Ibrahimović one step away from Lazio, Fabiani makes his first move in the transfer market

Lazio’s Mister X has a high-sounding surname and comes from Bayern Munich. Surprisingly, on the morning following the disappointment at home against Como at the beginning of the year, Lazio is close to completing the coup that will bring Arijon Ibrahimović to Baroni’s court. Born in 2005 of Kosovar-Albanian origins, he has just turned 19 and already knows Serie A, having played on loan at Frosinone in the 2023/24 season. Raised in the youth teams of Greuther Fürth and Nuremberg (where he was born), in 2018 he joined the youth sector of Bayern Munich. A midfielder with a high technical level and good legs, in 2022 The Guardian included him among the 60 best footballers in the world born in 2005. In Italy he made his debut in Serie A with Di Francesco at the Olimpico, in the final of the match lost 2- 0 against Roma at the beginning of October 2023. A month later, in his first start against Empoli at just 17 years old, he first provided an assist for the goal by Cuni and then scored the first goal in the Italian top flight with a surgical right-footed shot under the top corner, causing Benito Stirpe to chant at the stadium: “Ohhh Ibrahimović”. Predestined, he was the first player in 2005 to score in Serie A. Only 4 days earlier he had also scored in the Italian Cup against Torino. No relation, but his idol is Zlatan himself. The German Under-20 talent has a very powerful right foot and a clever way of playing. This season he has played just 12 minutes in the German Cup and just 2 in the Bundesliga.

THE IDENTIKIT – Lazio have sunk the blow, the sporting director Fabiani has closed during the night to bring back to the country what is considered to all intents and purposes an attacking midfielder, who has started from the attacking midfield since his debut. In Bavaria for coach Vincent Kompany it had so far been the substitution of Thomas Müller and Jamal Musiala. He will arrive in Rome on loan with the right to buy and will immediately place himself under the orders of Marco Baroni. 1.78m and 70kg, he is a quick and agile profile with good vision of the game and a constant propensity to assist, who loves to vary on the offensive front and often slips out to the left. In the Biancoceleste – on paper – he could also play as Zaccagni’s deputy in the position held by Dele-Bashiru against Como or in the sub-forward role that Baroni created for Boulaye Dia. Still inevitably immature, Baroni’s mission will be to build him and discipline him tactically. For Lazio, Ibrahimović is one of the market opportunities to be seized immediately, he had already been blocked in the frantic wait to define the Fazzini deal with Empoli, but at the end of the new talks held yesterday evening between Claudio Lotito and the president Corsi, the club opted for a decisive tack on the German boy.

THE SCENARIOS – The negotiation for the Tuscan midfielder will remain frozen pending any exits. Ibrahimović should not prevent new additions between now and the end of the winter transfer session. For example, it is not excluded that Angelo Fabiani could decide to bring forward the arrival in the capital of Daniele Ghilardi, the Verona defender who turned 22 five days ago. Blocked for June, he should remain with Paolo Zanetti until the end of the season, but will be subject to careful evaluation by the club. Gustav Isaksen remains in the balance, enjoying Baroni’s trust but still not convincing. Scottish Celtic and also Vincenzo Italiano’s Bologna have already asked for information on the Dane. The hypothesis linked to Jacopo Fazzini – which was reopened yesterday evening – remains hanging by a very thin thread, but should not be considered completely over. Despite the similar physical characteristics, the Empoli native prefers to build the game from behind, while Ibrahimović has a strong offensive propensity. Baroni highlighted in the conference that he is not leaving anyone behind, but given the negligible playing time, specific assessments will also be made on Castrovilli, who was still on the bench for 94 minutes yesterday. The doubts will be resolved in the coming weeks. In the meantime, Lazio have practically closed for Arijon Ibrahimović, another profile to be weaned under the expert hands of Baroni.