Lazio have made their move for Hearts defender Aaron Hickey in an attempt to get ahead of Chelsea in the race for his signature.
Hickey has established himself as one of the hottest prospects in Scottish football and, according to reports in the English media, is now the subject of a transfer battle with his contract expiring next summer.
Several big sides in Europe, including the likes of Bayern Munich and AC Milan, have been linked with making a move.
Chelsea are also thought to be keen, although they are not the only Premier League side looking to take advantage of the situation, particularly after Hearts’ relegation from the Scottish Premiership.
However, it seems they will face stern competition from Lazio for his signature, with La Lazio Siamo Noi reporting they have already made their move.
According to the website, Lazio had been following Hickey before Scottish football was brought to a premature end and watched him ‘several times’.
They were left impressed by his ‘running ability, his speed and his ability to play with both feet’ and thus made their move.
They ‘established contacts’ with his agents and Hearts about a move, making a ‘proposal’ to the Scottish side that was ‘close to €100,000′.
It’s believed that figure would be enough to secure his signature, due to a clause in his current contract in case of relegation, although Hearts have not confirmed that is the case.
They are keen to take advantage of the considerable interest in him, with Celtic and Bayern Munich the latest to join the race for him.
However, La Lazio Siamo Noi say Chelsea are a side to ‘pay attention to especially’ as manager Frank Lampard has not hidden his desire to create a British core of players at Stamford Bridge.
The suggestion is that they are the primary competition for Hickey’s signature, although it’s made clear Lazio are aiming to ‘burn the competition’ and ‘win the race’ for a youngster they believe can ‘explode in the future’.
