2 giorni fa
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Four goals in pre-season tests, the coach's backing, and renewed confidence mean he won't be a starter but will get more opportunities.
Petar Ratkov now feels he can finally seize his opportunity with Lazio (here's the fantasy football analysis of the Biancoceleste squad). The Serbian striker has scored four goals, making him the Biancoceleste's top scorer in pre-season. On Sunday evening, his left foot sealed the victory in the Ascoli friendly. He is regaining his self-belief. He expressed his enthusiasm on social media with an image of his goal and a photo embracing his teammates. He arrived in January from Salzburg for €13 million, tasked with filling Castellanos' shoes. His start was challenging, and he struggled to find a place in Sarri's plans. At 1.93m tall, his role as a target man didn't align with the 'Commander's' tactical requirements. He featured in 8 league appearances (two starts), totalling 228 minutes, without scoring a single goal. By the end of the season, Lazio needed to ensure their €13 million investment didn't depreciate. Gattuso was tasked with assessing the 22-year-old Serb's adaptability to his system during pre-season. Ratkov immediately felt involved in the new Biancoceleste era. He broke the deadlock against Flaminia, scored a brace against Avellino, and then netted the winning goal in Ascoli, showcasing his finishing abilities, which had previously been overshadowed by criticism. On Sunday evening, Gattuso explained: "Ratkov has characteristics I really like. He's a lad who didn't play much last year; mentally, he needs to recover." Since his arrival at Formello, the former national team coach has requested a reinforcement for the centre-forward position. Ratkov is proving he can perform well in both the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations, the coach's preferred systems. Gattuso has not changed his transfer market demands. "We must ensure we don't make mistakes with the two signings that will arrive: definitely a striker and a central defender," he reiterated on Sunday evening. Ratkov is not in contention for a starting spot. However, this summer he is regaining the consideration needed to establish himself as a goalscorer in Italian football.
Requirements
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Rino Gattuso trusts in Ratkov's potential, but he still expects a more reliable striker from the transfer market. Gimenez remains at the top of his list, and talks with the Mexican's agents are ongoing. The operation with Milan is complicated: Lazio's proposal involves a loan with a conditional option to buy. Similarly, negotiations have begun with Benfica for Ivanovic. Sassuolo's Pinamonti is also being considered. Meanwhile, for defence, they are pursuing Hautekiet, a 24-year-old Belgian centre-back from Standard Liege.
This article was originally written in Italian by La Gazzetta dello Sport editor. The English version has been generated using AI translation tools. If you notice any translation errors or have suggestions, please contact us at iniziativegazzetta@rcs.it
