After being heavily linked last summer, latest reports claimed that Lazio will finally acquire the service of Manchester City’s outcast striker, Roque Santa Cruz, this January on a loan basis with an option to buy in the end of the season.
According from the media both in Italy and England, unlike the summer rumors, this time the deal is for real and could be finalized in just a couple more days possibly at the time the transfer window re-opened in January.
The arrival of Santa Cruz is being aimed to provide more depth for Lazio’s striking department as they would definitely need another central forward to help them compete with other Serie A teams especially the current league leader, Ac Milan. Reports claim that the Paraguayan international will cost the Biancolesti around 300,000 Euro for a loan fee and should the do decide to permanently sign the striker, the capital side must cash out about 3 million Euro.
This amount of money is pretty much a reasonable prize considering the sum of cash that City needed to prize up the striker from Blackburn few seasons ago. Surely the fact that the striker has been spending more time in the treatment lately does brought his prize down, not to mention the current surplus at Eastlands which limited the former Bayern Muenchen’s star playing time at Roberto Mancini’s team.
Rumors also suggested that Santa Cruz’s fitness condition was one of the main hurdles that prevented him in signing for Lazio in the summer as at that time the striker isn’t actually fit enough to play after suffering an injury after the 2010 World Cup at South Africa. Fortunately, the ex-Blackburn Rovers’ forward has already recovered from his injury and did had some small amount of playing time for City in some games where Mancini decided to rest his main players.
Surely the questions would Santa Cruz’s arrival will be enough to provide the depth that Lazio needed up front in keeping track with Milan in the tittle challenge considering the fact that the fashion capital side are looking certain to add another quality player on their ranks this winter. Should the Paraguayan international can be healthy enough this winter, he should be a big help for the Biancolesti as his characteristic is quite suitable for Italian football and also the capital club’s playing style.
photo credit: Catatan Bola Photo Gallery
