Fabiani: ‘Lazio did not need new players’ | OneFootball

Lazio director Mariano Fabiani defends the lack of transfer activity, insisting the team ‘had very little in need of repair’ on the market.

The clash with fourth-placed Atalanta kicks off at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo at 17.00 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the LIVEBLOG.

The Biancocelesti sent Toma Basic to Salernitana, but otherwise maintained the same team under Maurizio Sarri, as negotiations for several different players fell apart at the end.

This brought forth criticism from the fans who felt that opportunities were missed to strengthen a side that finished second last season, but the director of sport does not see it that way.

“We maintained consistency. At the start of the summer, we decided not to dismantle the squad, so only Sergej Milinkovic-Savic left and we brought in five or six new players,” Fabiani told DAZN.

“We said that if there was an opportunity, then we would evaluate it, but always looking towards the future. There was no point going on the market and signing someone just for a fashion statement, it has to be one of necessity.

“The winter window is traditionally one where you have to repair the areas where there are problems and Lazio had very little in need of repair.”

Lazio had been on the verge of exchanging contracts with Fenerbahce for English winger Ryan Kent until he suddenly changed his mind.