Lazio centre-forward Petar Ratkov will reportedly leave the club to join Spanish club Levante on an initial loan deal.
The club's sporting director, Angelo Fabiani, had high hopes for the 23-year-old, whom he had chosen to replace Taty Castellanos in January. However, neither Maurizio Sarri nor Gennaro Gattuso have had the desire to work with the Serbian bomber. The former claimed he had never heard about the former RB Salzburg player , while the current Lazio coach insisted he doesn't fit his tactical system.
After rejecting Dynamo Moscow and Southampton earlier in the summer, Ratkov opened up to a move to LaLiga. Sevilla were the first Spanish side to seriously enquire about the striker, but they then shifted their attention towards Conrad Harder.
Petar Ratkov (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)
But with the Danish bomber on the verge of joining Strasbourg , the Andalusian club has revived its interest in the Lazio outcast . However, Sevilla may have returned to the fray belatedly, with Levante already reaching the closing stages.
According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio and Damiano Er Faina , Ratkov to Levante can be considered a done deal, with the Spanish side reaching an agreement with the player as well as Lazio, who agreed to release the Serbian on loan for €1 million with an option to buy set at €14 million.
On the other hand, La Lazio Siamo Noi confirm that Levante are indeed very close to finalising the transfer, but believes that Sevilla still stand a chance. However, the Rojiblancos must accelerate their attempts before it's too late.
It should be mentioned that Ratkov has been dropped from Lazio's matchday squad against Genoa , so he won't take part in the action on Sunday. Therefore, the 23-year-old is set to leave the club without scoring an official goal.
