Serie A side Lazio are on the trail of enterprising Nigerian midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru after his impressive debut season in the Turkish top flight.
Dele-Bashiru was one of the breakout stars in the just-ended league campaign after helping Hatayspor survive relegation.
The Manchester City academy product enjoyed the most productive campaign of his professional career in the just-ended season, registering nine goals and six assists in all competitions, effectively finishing as the club’s joint-top scorer.
Dele-Bashiru signed a three-year contract when he joined Hatayspor but his impressive performances have led to interest from a number of clubs. He has also been rewarded with a call-up to the Nigeria national team for their upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and Benin.
Lazio and Hatayspor €1 million apart in Fisayo Dele-Bashiru valuation
While Hatayspor signed Fisayo Dele-Bashiru for free in the summer of 2023, the Turkish club currently values the midfielder at €6 million. According to Italian jounalist Alfredo Pedulla, as reported by beIN Sports, Serie A side Lazio are keen on signing the Nigeria international but are struggling to meet Hatayspor’s asking price.
The report suggests Lazio are prepared to pay €5 million, which leaves them €1 million short of Hatayspor’s valuation. It remains to be seen whether Lazio will raise their initial offer but an agreement between the two clubs would likely depend on the player.
Dele-Bashiru has a history of making his own way. In 2020, he left Manchester City for Sheffield Wednesday in search of senior football, despite training for 18 months with the first team under Pep Guardiola.
Although the 23-year-old became a regular at Sheffield Wednesday, he refused to sign a contract extension and left on a free three years later following their failure to gain promotion to the Premier League.
With Hatayspor finishing just one point above the relegation zone last season, it is likely that Dele-Bashiru will be seeking a move to a more ambitious club and could push for the Turkish side to drop their asking price in order to facilitate the Lazio move.
