Lazio are willing to sell Fisayo Dele-Bashiru this summer for between €15 million and €18 million, with manager Maurizio Sarri giving his approval for the Super Eagles midfielder to depart the Stadio Olimpico.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru‘s time at Lazio appears to be drawing to a close. Italian publication Tuttomercato reports that the Serie A club are willing to sell the Super Eagles attacking midfielder this summer, with a price tag set between €15 million and €18 million. Manager Maurizio Sarri has given his blessing for the exit, a signal that the 24-year-old does not feature in the Italian’s long-term plans at the Stadio Olimpico. Clubs interested in signing Dele-Bashiru should expect to pay a significant premium on the €5 million Lazio spent to bring him from Sivasspor in 2024.
Lazio’s willingness to sell at this valuation, a three to four-fold return on their initial outlay in under two years, reflects both the market interest in the player and their own budgetary planning for the summer window. Supporters who want to keep track of Nigerian transfer news can find Bet9ja’s YOHAIG welcome bonus for new users keen to follow the Super Eagles’ biggest names this summer.
A Difficult Season in Rome
Dele-Bashiru has made 17 Serie A appearances for Lazio this season but has rarely nailed down a starting position under Sarri’s demanding tactical system. The Nigeria international was linked with a January exit as well, suggesting the club has been exploring his departure for some time. At 24, he is at the age where regular football matters most for his development, and the prospect of moving to a club that will play him week to week is clearly attractive.
His arrival from Sivasspor in 2024 generated considerable excitement in Nigerian football circles, given that Lazio is a club with a strong tradition of developing technically gifted attacking midfielders. But a combination of competition for places and tactical constraints have limited his output in Rome. A fresh challenge this summer could unlock the player that first attracted attention in Turkey. New Bet9ja users can access Bet9ja’s Bet9ja welcome bonus to follow Nigerian players across Europe’s top leagues next season.
Where Could He Go?
At €15 million to €18 million, Dele-Bashiru sits in a bracket that is accessible to mid-table Premier League clubs, ambitious Serie A sides, or well-resourced clubs from the Bundesliga and Ligue 1. His profile, an energetic, technically capable attacking midfielder with Super Eagles experience and European football familiarity, fits several systems currently in use across Europe’s top five leagues.
For the Super Eagles, ensuring Dele-Bashiru lands at a club where he plays regularly is important. Coach Eric Chelle has used him in a number of configurations, and a player of his quality contributing weekly at a high level will only strengthen Nigeria’s midfield options ahead of AFCON 2027 qualifying. The summer window should clarify his destination. Fans who want to track the transfer market for Super Eagles players can also explore what Bet9ja’s promotion code offers ahead of the new season.
📌 Did You Know?
- Fisayo Dele-Bashiru was born in Sheffield and holds dual Nigerian-British nationality. He chose to represent Nigeria at senior level after coming through the English youth system, making his Super Eagles debut in 2023.
- Before his move to Sivasspor in Turkey, Dele-Bashiru spent time at Sheffield Wednesday, where he came through the academy. His path from the Championship in England to the Turkish Lig and then to Serie A in under four years is one of the more rapid career progressions in recent Nigerian football history.
- Lazio signed Dele-Bashiru for approximately €5 million in 2024, a fee that appeared modest for a player who had impressed heavily in the Turkish Super Lig. Their €15-18 million asking price this summer represents a potential profit of up to €13 million on an asset they signed less than two years ago.
- Maurizio Sarri, Lazio’s manager, is known for preferring technically disciplined midfielders who can execute his possession-heavy system with precision. Dele-Bashiru’s more dynamic, box-to-box style has been cited as one reason for the tactical mismatch that has limited his playing time.
- The Turkish Super Lig has become a genuinely effective pathway for Nigerian players into Europe’s bigger leagues. Several Super Eagles regulars, including Dele-Bashiru and Paul Onuachu, have used time in Turkey to raise their profile and attract clubs from Italy, Germany and England.
- At 24, Dele-Bashiru is entering the years when midfielders typically reach their physical and tactical peak. A move to a club where he starts regularly could see a rapid improvement in output, making his €15-18 million valuation look modest within two seasons.
- The 2026-27 African Football season will include AFCON 2027 qualifying as well as the CAF Champions League expansion, meaning Nigerian players with regular club football will have significantly more senior international opportunities available to them than in the current cycle.
