Lazio president Claudio Lotito confirmed that striker Ciro Immobile is not for sale this summer and claimed Domenico Berardi tore up a contract with Juventus last summer. Speaking from the Lazio training camp in Auronzo di Cadore (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Lotito began by addressing the rumours linking Immobile with a Saudi move and the potential replacements for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic:
“Immobile? Ciro is staying, it’s not like I put him up for sale. Rest assured. Now Castellanos will come up on Tuesday, he has resolved bureaucracies, visas and everything else. We have 50 players who all want to come to us, With the dollar you buy everything, then with Lotito the result is guaranteed. It is a team that works, last year we have some situations to fix and we are fixing them. We needed another striker and he came. Milinkovic left and the replacement will come. It’s not like one goes to the supermarket, buy one and get three, so they’re all good. You have to buy the right players and with the right mentality. I have to build the team and I know what I have to do. Today the first priority is Milinkovic’s replacement. In the direction we already have three, Cataldi, Marcos Antonio and Vecino. The priority is Milinkovic’s replacement.”
“I make a practical speech and say ‘what I have to do I know.’ We had the comparisons before the end of the championship about the needs that could improve the team. You have to give priorities and today these are them. We needed Immobile’s replacement and we bought him. We chose one of the best on the market. We hope he will do what he did outside. Milinkovic left, I didn’t send him away, in fact I tried to keep him until the end. They give him €20 million a year and he decided to leave and I said okay. Now the priority is to replace him. Everything else is in addition, it will be done. We are already working on it. Zielinski? I choose the players. When you see the players you will talk. Did you know I was signing Castellanos? No. He came out because I brought him up otherwise you didn’t even know who he was.”
“Radu? A future at the club? Right now he’s resting, then we’ll see. Stefan is a good person. Club manager? That he stays is one thing, but if we even give him the title already….”
“Berardi? This story about Berardi is a big bullshit. He has never been put up for sale, I called the club (Sassuolo, ed.) and was told that he is not for sale, except that he is asking for a frightening amount of money. Last year he signed a contract with Juve and tore it up. You also have to see who you talk to!”
“The future? You should not be afraid. Lazio will always remain strong, regardless of people. And in any case, worries do not exist.”
“Immobile to Saudi? Call Immobile’s agent and tell him if he has had an offer. He won’t answer you because he’s pissed off and is looking for whoever gave the news to report it. It’s a lie, believe me, I don’t know who put it out there.”
