Lazio are growing impatient with Manchester City’s David Silva, who is stalling on a move to Italy once his contract at the Etihad expires.
The Spaniard is leaving the Etihad at the end of this season after ten years at the club, having elected to turn down their offer of a one-year extension.
He has been linked with a move to all corners of the globe, with clubs in Spain, Qatar and the USA all thought to be keen.
It has looked likely that Italy, specifically Lazio, would be his next destination for several weeks though, with a report last week claiming he would sign a deal on Monday.
That never happened, and both Corriere Dello Sport and Gazzetta Dello Sport cover the situation in their newspapers today.
Corriere explain that everything looked to have been sorted with Lazio and Silva, with them the only club in Italy to have made an ‘official and heavy move’.
The two parties had agreed on a three-year deal worth €2-3m a year that included bonuses to ramp it up. Indeed, there were several other benefits too, including a VIP apartment and the use of a private plane.
All that was missing was the signature, but then the ‘scenario changed’. Instead of signing, Silva asked for more time to make a decision, according to both newspapers.
Gazzetta say he asked for time to work out ‘more bureaucratic details and tax audits’ and he stated he would decide on Sunday. However, ‘concerns arose’ at Lazio, who had picked up on a change of tone and believe his behaviour ‘doesn’t add up.’
That has led to ‘concerns’ at the Italian club that he has had his head turned by offers elsewhere, from the likes of Qatar, who could offer more money.
This has ‘irritated’ Lazio, according to Gazzetta, while Corriere add that they were left ‘stony’ by the delay in his decision.
So much so, Lazio president Claudio Lotito has now ‘lost patience’ and wants an answer, leaving the transfer ‘dangerously hovering’.
The Italian club remain optimistic of finalising a deal, and there is likely to be an acceleration in the process should Manchester City get knocked out of the Champions League tonight.
However, the delay has caused both worry and ‘reflections’ for Lazio, who are seemingly not going to wait much longer for Silva to make a decision.
