Lazio president Claudio Lotito appears to have hit out at Ryan Kent after the former Rangers winger saw a move from Fenerbahce to Serie A giants Lazio collapse on the final day of the winter transfer window.
Depending on who you believe, that dramatic break-down in negotiations was driven either by Ryan Kent’s desire to stay and fight for his place in Istanbul, or – according to an alternative perspective put forward by La Lazio Siamo Noi – a rather complicated situation regarding him and his current contract at Fenerbahce.
Either way, Lazio chief Claudio Lotito is keen to dust himself of and move on from the drama, the former Rangers man missing out on what could potentially have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at one of Europe’s most iconic clubs.
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“I don’t know the reason that pushed him to take a step back. And I don’t even care,” Lotito tells Il Messaggero, insisting that Kent was less of a necessity and more of an ‘opportunity’.
“Because, I repeat, it was a zero-cost opportunity. A surplus.
“We didn’t need reinforcements because we believe in the strength of this squad on which we have focused and from which we still expect a lot.”
Kent, who once set Rangers back £7 million and left Ibrox for free when his contract expired, has endured a rather miserable post-Ibrox career, with that aborted switch to Serie A another disappointing chapter in a season full of frustration.
Lazio and Hull City move on from Ryan Kent
Kent has played only five minutes of football in Turkey’s Super Lig since November. He also saw a potential mid-season switch to Hull City collapse, Lotito’s opposite number Acun Ilicali also less-than-complimentary of a situation which ended in frowns rather than smiles.
“As for Ryan Kent, this issue is important. Desires, appetite, desire to play are important,” Ilicali explained at the time, Hull bringing in another Super Lig forward in Abdulkadir Omur instead.
“(Omur) is a fan favourite, and he become a fan favourite (at Hull). We could not see this appetite in Ryan Kent, and we turned to another football player.”
