Lazio have given up on signing Newcastle winger Florian Thauvin, according to La Gazzetta Dello Sport. The Italian newspaper believes that the re-emergence of Marseille in the race and the 23 year old’s desire to rejoin the French club, have blocked the move from going ahead.
It is believed that a four year contract was agreed with Thauvin, at €1.5million per season, and a loan deal (with a purchase option of €12million) had been finalised with Newcastle.
One of the major factors in Thauvin’s previous interest in Lazio was the arrival of Marcelo Bielsa at the Serie A side. The Argentine was Thauvin’s mentor at Marseille but after he left his post after just 2 days at the Italian club, Thauvin began to favour a return to France.
Marseille’s manager Franck Passi was Bielsa’s assistant manager, and he knows Thauvin very well after also managing the winger during the end of his loan spell at the Ligue One side last campaign.
Lazio are now expected to step up their chase for Atalanta’s Alejandro Gomez but it remains to be seen whether Marseille have the cash for the purchase ooption that the Magpies are demanding in any loan deal for Thauvin.
