Alessio Romagnoli set to join Al Sadd after failed January move

Alessio Romagnoli is on the verge of leaving Lazio for Al Sadd after the Qatar club revived a transfer that collapsed in the closing hours of last season’s winter window.

Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Al Sadd and Lazio have exchanged the documents required to complete the deal for the Italian defender. The move is expected to be a permanent transfer, with Romagnoli set to sign a four-year contract running until the summer of 2030.

Qatar’s summer transfer window remains open until the middle of September, giving Al Sadd time to complete the registration process and formally announce the 31-year-old’s arrival.

Romagnoli has not featured in either of Lazio’s first two matches of the season. His absence comes after he was heavily linked with a move away from the club in January, when Al Sadd had already reached an agreement with Lazio for his transfer.

That deal appeared to be complete on the final day of the winter transfer window. The contracts had been signed, but the limited time remaining prevented the transfer from being registered before the Qatar window closed.

Reports at the time said Al Sadd had been given approval to proceed, but the club was unable to finish the formal administrative procedures before the deadline. As a result, the move was cancelled at the last moment.

With the Qatari transfer market then closed, Romagnoli had no choice but to return to Lazio. He was left in a difficult position, having been preparing to leave and with the arrangements for his departure apparently in place, only to begin a new phase with a team he had expected to say goodbye to.

The latest agreement would finally allow the defender to complete the move several months after the initial attempt failed. It would also bring an end to his time at Lazio and take him into a new chapter of his career in Qatar.

Romagnoli began his professional career with Roma in 2012. He subsequently played for Sampdoria and Milan before joining Lazio, where he has continued his career as a central defender.

The proposed contract with Al Sadd would keep him at the club through the end of the 2029-30 season, provided the transfer is completed and registered before Qatar’s summer window closes in September.