Lazio Pursue Franjo Ivanovic for Key Role
Lazio are moving aggressively for Benfica striker Franjo Ivanovic, convinced they can give the young Croatian what he now values above everything else: minutes, not promises.
The 22-year-old only landed in Lisbon last summer, Benfica paying €22.8m to prise him away from Union Saint-Gilloise after his rise in Belgium. On paper, his first year in Portugal looks respectable – eight goals and two assists across 42 competitive appearances. The detail tells a different story. Only 13 of those games came from the start.
For a forward on the brink of his prime and already breaking into the Croatia national team, that limited role has quickly become a problem. According to Sportitalia transfer specialist Alfredo Pedullà, Ivanovic has made it clear that regular playing time will dictate his next move. Not the size of the club. Not the size of the contract. The size of the role.
Potential Move to Lazio
Lazio sense an opening.
With their attack in need of fresh legs and a more direct option through the middle, the Biancocelesti have approached Benfica to explore a dry loan – a straight season-long deal with no option to buy. It is a low-risk, high-upside proposal: Benfica retain control of the asset, Lazio get a hungry international striker desperate to prove he should be starting every week at a top level.
They are not alone in the chase. Como have tested the waters in Serie A, Galatasaray are watching from Istanbul, and Hull City have shown interest in taking him to England. Real Betis are also in the frame, adding La Liga to an already varied list of possible destinations.
Appeal of Lazio
The selling point from Rome is simple. At Lazio, Ivanovic would not be just another name in a deep attacking rotation. The club believe they can offer a central role in their project, the kind of responsibility he has only tasted in flashes at Benfica.
Ivanovic’s trajectory explains why the scramble is so intense. He made his senior debut for Croatia last year and already has two goals and one assist from nine caps, edging his way into a national team that rarely hands out opportunities lightly. For a player who warmed up in Podgorica before a World Cup qualifier and now finds himself on the benches of a Champions League-level club, the next decision could define his career.
Benfica must now decide whether a loan, with no purchase clause, suits their plans for a forward they invested heavily in just a year ago. Lazio, for their part, are betting that the promise of a starting shirt, not a transfer fee, will be enough to win the race.
