Bournemouth’s Christos Mandas hasn’t played a single minute in the Premier League since joining from Lazio. His situation is now causing concern in Italy.
The move to the Vitality Stadium came after the Greek international was linked with moves to Wolves and West Ham constantly repeatedly.
Sport Witness covered the up the up and downs of the transfer drama, as Bournemouth secured an option to buy worth around €18m as part of the initial loan deal.
Many expected the goalkeeper to get some minutes, especially since the move came after he struggled to do that at Lazio.
His situation hasn’t improved at all and the transfer seems a bit pointless. LazioChannel have taken a closer look, questioning why the move actually went through.
Bournemouth situation seen as farce
The outlet believe ‘it is a mockery’ that Mandas isn’t playing at all at Bournemouth. This isn’t because they want him to leave permanently but due to the belief he could have contributed to the Lazio first-team right now.
Maurizio Sarri’s side are struggling and there are question marks about the manager’s future.
If Mandas was playing for the Cherries, the sale would have guaranteed the Italian side a good financial return. Now, nothing is moving and the frustration is clear, with Lazio’s first-choice goalkeeper Ivan Provedel also struggling.
Mandas is seen as a missed opportunity, as he was very much around the first team in the first half of the season. He was never used, despite Premier League clubs having come forward for him in the summer.
Our take on Mandas’ situation
The 24-year-old has had a rather pointless 2025/26 season. He could end it with no league appearances, despite having done well in the 2024/25 campaign under Marco Baroni. There was a point when he was Lazio’s first-choice goalkeeper.
It shows he certainly has the ability to start for Bournemouth. It seems like Andoni Iraola does not want to experiment too much. That is making him stick to Djordje Petrovic constantly.
That decision from the Spaniard is understandable and all Mandas can do now is make the most of an opportunity – if he gets one. Arguably, he could have played more often if he had stayed in Rome.
