Wesley Hoedt didn’t get off the bench on Friday as Lazio won 3-2 against Crotone. The match came just days after there were reports across the Italian sport media that Lazio have decided to send the defender back to Southampton at the end of his loan spell.
When the Dutchman moved to Serie A and returned to former club Lazio he had to win over fans and the media around the side. He’d made enemies with the way he’d left them for Southampton in the first place, and took to the media to say all the right things to win people back.
That worked to an extent, yet a series of mistakes on the pitch could not be forgiven and he’s still expected to return to the Premier League club at the end of the season.
La Lazio Siamo Noi say Hoedt is currently ‘shipwrecked’ and it’s highly unlikely Lazio will pay the fee, which is just €5.5m, needed to make the signing permanent.
That presents a problem for Southampton in the summer, as they’ll have to find the player a new club and hope they can get a fee before the final year of the 27-year-old’s contract.
Given the snipes he sent the way of manager Ralph Hasenhüttl after being sent out on loan, a meaningful future with the Saints is unlikely.
