Lazio are now the front runners to sign West Ham striker Simone Zaza, reports the Transalpine press (via TV5 Monde). Fiorentina are also believed to be tracking the 25 year old but Paulo Sousa’s side will only make a move for the Italian if their forward Nikola Kalinic leaves for China.
It leaves the path clear for Lazio to make a move. The players’s father Antonio Zaza told Tuttomercaroweb that his son only wants to play in Serie A, and is seeking a permanent rather than another loan deal.
Whether Lazio can agree terms with Zaza’s parent club Juventus could prove to be main obstacle to any deal. West Ham were due to pay Juve £20million once the striker had made 14 appearances, but when the forward returns to Italy this month, reports suggest the Bianconeri will still demand close to this figure from any prospective clubs.
No official announcement has been made about Zaza’s situation with the Hammers, but his father’s comments over the past few weeks suggest that there is an agreement in place for the player to cut short his loan spell in London.
