Lazio’s season has moved into an unusual administrative phase: with the summer window closed, the squad may still change through departures, free agents and the limits imposed on future transfer activity. Patric is now at the centre of that picture, with the defender considering the end of an 11-year spell in Rome.
Patric’s long Lazio chapter nears its end
- After the summer market shut, Alessio Romagnoli left Lazio and Diogo Leite arrived to take his place in the squad.
- Patric, one of the remaining senior figures in the dressing room, then moved towards an exit after a difficult final year.
- The Spaniard suffered a stoppage in July and a muscle injury late in August, before being left out of the Serie A list alongside Pellegrini.
- He has received an offer from Al-Ittifaq, the Dubai-based club playing in the UAE First Division, the country’s second tier.
- Lazio and Patric are discussing a mutual termination of his contract, which was due to expire in June. The club would not receive a transfer fee, while the financial terms of his departure still need to be settled.
- Patric has a preliminary agreement with Al-Ittifaq, who have until Monday to complete the move.
Should the deal go through, Patric would leave after 244 appearances and 11 years of committed service to Lazio. Al-Ittifaq are coached by former Juventus defender Paolo Montero and include Mario Balotelli and former Juventus winger Douglas Costa.
Gattuso’s options and the registration issue
Gattuso had initially counted on Patric, but was unable to use him after the club chose to omit both him and Pellegrini from the league list. That decision came from the board rather than the coach.
Romagnoli’s departure created a place later filled by Diogo Leite. Two slots were left open among the over-17 players, although only one can currently be used outside a transfer window, and then only for a free agent whose previous contract had ended by 30 June.
Lazio therefore retain one possible emergency route should the January market again be partially restricted. The club’s status will depend on the assessment based on the position at 30 September, with a decision expected at the beginning of December. The outcome could leave Lazio with a semi-blocked market, as in the summer, or a fully blocked one.
The open place does not automatically mean a signing will follow. Gattuso has consistently asked for players who fit his requirements, rather than additions made simply because they are available.
The club had considered David Alaba, now at Udinese, when assessing replacements alongside Diogo Leite. Gattuso preferred the Portuguese defender, who is seven years younger at 27 compared with Alaba’s 34, and had previously played with Doekhi at Union Berlin. The different salary costs were also part of the wider context.
Free-agent names under consideration
There have been no convincing openings among the available free agents so far. Ryotaro Ito, the 28-year-old Japanese attacking midfielder and second striker, has been proposed to Lazio, but the club have not pursued the possibility.
- Ito previously played for Sint-Truiden in Belgium after spells in Japan.
- He recorded 19 goals and 14 assists in 110 appearances for the Belgian side.
- His non-EU status would not prevent a move, as Lazio have room in that category.
The club had also considered signing Mauro Icardi, but president Claudio Lotito accepted Gattuso’s opposition after the coach explained his position. Lazio are keeping their remaining free-agent place in reserve while they wait for clarity over January and weigh whether any available player can genuinely strengthen the squad.
Sporting director Angelo Fabiani has twice stressed that “the market never sleeps”. For Lazio, that remains true even after the window: Patric’s likely farewell may close one long-standing chapter while leaving another place, and another decision, open.
