Italian Serie A club SS Lazio have announced the signing of 23-year-old Super Eagles attacking midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy.
Dele-Bashiru began his career with Manchester City before moving to Sheffield Wednesday four years ago. He signed for Hatayspor last year as a free agent and now joins Lazio for a €2 million loan fee with an option to sign outright for €4 million.
The 23-year-old Nigeria international passed his medical and signed the necessary forms over Thursday and Friday in Rome. Last season, he scored nine goals and provided four assists for Hatayspor.
The initial loan move comes with an obligation to buy if certain sporting conditions are met. Reports suggest that Lazio paid around €2 million for the loan and will be obliged to pay an additional €4 million to make the deal permanent.
Dele-Bashiru, who joined Hatayspor as a free agent at the beginning of last season, is under contract in Turkey until 2026 but will be approaching the final year of that deal at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Reports in Italy claimed a €7 million release clause in Dele-Bashiru’s Hatayspor contract, indicating that Lazio managed to negotiate a reduced price. The midfielder arrived in Rome on Thursday and has since completed the necessary medical checks and contract signings.
Dele-Bashiru was previously a youth academy player at Manchester City before joining Championship outfit Sheffield Wednesday in 2020.
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