Franjo Ivanović has become Lazio's top target to solve a goalscoring problem that badly hurt the club last season, with Benfica now open to a loan with an option to buy that could convert into an obligation under certain conditions.
The structure suits Lazio's circumstances perfectly: with the club working under a break-even summer market and needing to keep costs down to avoid a blocked January window, a loan defers any major investment until next June, leaving the club's wage bill to absorb only Ivanović's salary in the meantime.
Benfica's willingness to negotiate makes the Croatian the clear frontrunner for the Lazio attack ahead of alternatives Santiago Giménez, whom AC Milan will still only sell permanently or loan with an obligation Lazio cannot guarantee, and Andrea Pinamonti, who, with just a year left on his Sassuolo contract, can only be signed outright.
Benfica paid just under €25m for Ivanović last summer, and to avoid recording a loss on the sale would need an option to buy set at around €15m next summer, a figure Lazio would struggle to guarantee, meaning the finer details and pricing of the deal still need to be ironed out.
A related complication is the future of Petar Ratkov: the Serbian's agent has been non-committal, but concrete interest has emerged from Russia, with the player unwilling to accept an approach from Dinamo Moscow so far, even as Lazio look to move him on and hope for a swift resolution.
Away from the first team, Lazio's academy has also been busy, with new youth-sector head Tobia Assumma completing the signings of four players from Rome-based club Grifone Calcio. Fabiano Serpente and Claudio Zero, both born in 2009 and Italian youth champions, have signed for the club, alongside 2011-born Luca Gioia and 2013-born Mattia Carloni.
Grifone Calcio marked the departures in a statement: "We are proud to announce that four of our registered players have moved into professional football by signing for Lazio. Our thanks go to them from the whole club, and we wish them the very best of luck and a future full of success. Good luck, boys!"