Almería slam door on Lazio's €18m Dzodic bid: 'He'll be worth more'
Spanish second-tier side Almería have rejected a substantial €18m offer from Lazio for Serbian midfielder Stefan Dzodic, believing the 20-year-old's value will continue to rise.
Almería holding firm on rising Serbian star despite Serie A interest
Not for sale at any price
Almería are digging their heels in during the January transfer window, making it crystal clear they won’t be flogging their best talent despite their current struggles. The Spanish second-tier outfit have just told Lazio to do one after the Italian side came knocking with an €18 million package for Serbian midfielder Stefan Dzodic.
The Serie A club put together what most would consider a proper tasty offer - €14 million upfront with another €4 million in add-ons - but Almería weren’t having any of it. For a player who only arrived on a free from Montpellier last summer, that’s some serious bread and butter.
‘He’ll be worth more’
Sources inside the club have a simple explanation for turning down such a substantial sum: they reckon Dzodic’s value will skyrocket. The 20-year-old midfielder has shown “superlative potential” since the season kicked off, despite limited first-team experience in France before his move.
This isn’t the first time Almería have played hardball. Earlier in the window, they flat-out refused to even negotiate with Sporting Lisbon over Sergio Arribas.
Summer decisions looming
While Dzodic is staying put for now (having signed until 2030), the situation could get interesting come summer, especially if Almería fail to secure promotion back to La Liga. The club might need to balance the books, and cashing in on Dzodic could help soften the financial blow of another season in the second tier.
What’s clear is that major European clubs have the young Serbian on their radar - similar to what happened with Lopy previously. For now though, Almería supporters can breathe easy knowing their rising star is going nowhere until summer at minimum.
Other moves
In related news, Marko Perovic has officially joined Atlético Madrileño (Atlético Madrid’s B team) on loan until the end of the season. The Montenegro international will get valuable playing time in Primera Federación under the guidance of manager Fernando Torres.