Lazio are close to securing the services of Fisayo Dele-Bashiru after making significant progress in transfer negotiations with Turkish club Hatayspor, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Italian club has been in discussions with Dele-Bashiru and Hatayspor for several weeks.
The main hurdles were salary agreements and transfer terms. However, fresh reports suggest that Lazio and Hatayspor have now agreed on a deal for the central midfielder.
According to Sky Italia, the 23-year-old, who was developed in the Manchester City academy, will join Lazio on a season-long loan. This deal includes an obligation for Lazio to make the move permanent, with the total transfer fee set at €6 million.
Initially, Lazio will pay €2 million for the loan, followed by an additional €4 million for the permanent transfer at the end of the season. This structure allows Lazio to manage the cost over two seasons, which is below Dele-Bashiru’s €7 million release clause.
The final step was agreeing on personal terms with Dele-Bashiru, who was born in Nigeria and raised in England.
After a successful spell at Sheffield Wednesday, Dele-Bashiru moved to Hatayspor in 2023, where he excelled, scoring nine goals and providing six assists in 39 appearances during his debut season.
Dele-Bashiru’s move to Lazio will see him join a growing number of Nigerian players in Serie A, which includes Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, AC Milan’s Samuel Chukwueze, and Udinese’s duo of Maduka Okoye and Isaac Success.
The 23-year-old Dele-Bashiru recently made headlines with a spectacular equaliser for Nigeria in their 1-1 draw against South Africa during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
However, he was injured in that match and missed the subsequent 2-1 loss to the Benin Republic, impacting Nigeria’s World Cup qualification hopes.
