So far, Jozo Simunovic to Lazio has solely been a Corriere dello Sport story.
We’ve covered two different articles on the matter, and while we’ve repeatedly stated that getting the Celtic defender might be a bit tough for the Serie A side, he appears to be an Igli Tare (their director of football) target, and that’s what he’ll remain.
Adding some weight to this rumour are Il Tempo, a local Rome based newspaper, who state the Croatia U21 international is indeed someone Lazio see as a potential replacement for De Vrij, alongside Neven Subotic, even though the latter recently signed an 18 month contract with Saint-Etienne.
The problem remains the amount Celtic will demand for the 23-year-old, although his current situation at Celtic Park, struggling for game time, could lead to an early exit to avoid any future problems down the line.
The emergence of Kristoffer Ajer as a new Brendan Rodgers favourite, as well as the recent acquisitions of Jack Henry and Marvin Compper are making life difficult for Simunovic.
Bought for £6.75m from Dinamo Zagreb in 2015, the centre-back represents a big investment for the Scottish Premiership champions, and any sale would likely see them want to recoup as much as possible, if a profit cannot be made.
