Lazio’s acquisition of Nigerian midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru from Hatayspor has emerged as one of the summer’s most intriguing transfer stories, Soccernet.football reports.
While the 22-year-old is now making headlines in Rome, it has been revealed that Serie A rivals Lecce were close to securing his signature before Lazio swooped in to seal the deal.
Dele-Bashiru, who joined on an initial loan deal with conditions set for a five-year contract, has steadily found his footing under manager Marco Baroni.
Initially deployed as an attacking midfielder, the young Nigerian has since flourished in a deeper box-to-box role, leveraging his physicality and versatility to dominate games.
In a packed week for Lazio, featuring clashes against Napoli in the Coppa Italia, Ajax in the Europa League, and a Serie A fixture, Dele-Bashiru showed his quality.
Against Ajax, he delivered a commanding display and came agonizingly close to scoring, hitting the crossbar with a thunderous shot. His performances have endeared him to Lazio fans, who now chant his name to the tune of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Robot” at the Stadio Olimpico.
The path to Lazio wasn’t straightforward for Dele-Bashiru.
Lecce’s technical director, Pantaleo Corvino, had identified the Nigerian as a key target to bolster their squad during last winter’s transfer window.
However, negotiations with Hatayspor stalled when Lecce hesitated at the Turkish club’s €10 million asking price, according to Corriere dello Sport as per La Lazio.
Lazio capitalised on the impasse, securing Dele-Bashiru on a loan deal worth €2 million with an option to buy for €3.68 million—a shrewd move by sporting director Angelo Fabiani.
Now settled in Rome, Dele-Bashiru has shown glimpses of the talent that convinced Lazio to invest in him. With veteran midfielders Matías Vecino sidelined and Gaetano Castrovilli recovering from injury, the Nigerian has seized his opportunity to climb the team hierarchy.
As Lazio continues its push on multiple fronts, Dele-Bashiru’s emergence offers a glimpse of a bright future. The former Hatayspor player is proving to be worth every euro, underlining why Lazio edged Lecce in the race for his signature.