Italian Serie A side Lazio have rejected Brighton & Hove Albion’s approach for Nigeria midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, maintaining their stance that the 23-year-old is not for sale, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
According to La Lazio Siamo Noi, the Premier League club were told “in clear terms” that the midfielder, who joined the Biancocelesti last summer on loan from Turkish side Hatayspor, is unavailable for transfer both in January and at the season’s end.
This development comes just days after Lazio sporting director Angelo Fabiani dismissed interest from Serie A giants Juventus in the former Manchester City academy graduate.
“We were asked for Rovella, Dele-Bashiru, Nuno Tavares, Castellanos. Many are attractive on the market. We don’t have to dismantle the team, but complete it,” Fabiani said.
The midfielder has impressed in Italy since joining on a €2m loan deal with an obligation to buy, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 17 appearances this season, including two goals and two assists in four Europa League matches.
After initially struggling to establish himself, Dele-Bashiru flourished under coach Marco Baroni, who deployed him in more advanced positions rather than his traditional central midfield role.
The six-cap Nigeria international spent his formative years at Manchester City before moving to Sheffield Wednesday, where he spent two successful seasons before joining Hatayspor, scoring eight goals to help the Turkish side avoid relegation last term.
Brighton, who recently signed Paraguayan midfielder Diego Gomez from Inter Miami, reportedly view Dele-Bashiru as an ideal fit for manager Fabian Hürzeler’s tactical setup, but Lazio consider him crucial to their long-term plans.
