Newcastle United Eye Davide Frattesi Amid Lazio Interest
Newcastle United have stepped into the race for Davide Frattesi, setting up a straight fight with Lazio for the Inter Milan midfielder, according to Corriere dello Sport.
The move comes as Newcastle reshape their squad for the Matthias Jaissle era and zero in on midfield reinforcements. Recruitment work has already started. So has the jostling.
Newcastle’s first contact with Inter focused on Aleksandar Stankovic, a younger prospect they hoped to prise away. Inter shut that door quickly, ruling out his departure. Instead, the Italian champions pointed the Premier League club towards a different opportunity: Frattesi, available at the right price and ready-made for a top-level midfield.
Inter have set that price at €25 million as they look to generate immediate funds.
Cristian Chivu, preparing to defend the Serie A title, views a permanent sale as part of a wider reset: trimming numbers, easing the wage bill and creating room to reinvest.
Lazio have been in the conversation for some time. Gennaro Gattuso wants Frattesi to energise his midfield and add goals from deeper areas. The problem lies in the structure of their offer. Financial constraints mean the Roman club can only table an initial loan with a conditional option to buy, a formula that falls well short of Inter’s expectations.
That is where Newcastle sense their moment.
Backed by significant funds following recent high-profile sales, the Magpies can go straight in with a permanent deal that hits Inter’s valuation. On top of that, they enjoy a strong working relationship with Frattesi’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, a factor that could smooth what is already a clearly defined negotiation path.
Frattesi, noted for his timing in the box and eye for goal from midfield, is understood to be open to a move to the Premier League for the first time. He has been linked with England before, most notably with Nottingham Forest, but the landscape has shifted. Now there is a concrete opening, and a club with the financial muscle to close it.
Inter want a clean sale. Newcastle can offer one. Lazio, for all their interest, cannot match that stance.
The race for Frattesi is on, and right now the advantage sits firmly on Tyneside.
