Lazio sign Davide Frattesi from Inter Milan on season-long loan

Lazio have signed Italy midfielder Davide Frattesi from Inter Milan on a season-long loan deal that includes an option to make the transfer permanent.

The move was confirmed by Lazio in an official statement, with Frattesi set to spend the forthcoming campaign at the Rome club. The agreement gives Lazio the right to buy the player at the end of the loan period.

Frattesi arrives at Lazio after making 122 appearances for Inter Milan. During his time with the club, he scored 15 goals and provided 12 assists.

The midfielder was also part of the Inter side that won the Italian league twice, as well as the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana once each. His arrival gives Lazio a player with significant experience of domestic competition and of competing for major honours.

Lazio finished ninth in the previous Serie A season with 54 points. Their campaign also included a Coppa Italia final against Inter Milan, where they were beaten 2-0.

The club have spent the summer preparing for the new season through a series of friendly matches. They began that schedule with a convincing 6-0 victory over Flaminia before recording another high-scoring win, beating Avellino 6-3.

Lazio then defeated Frosinone 2-1 and completed their pre-season programme with a 4-0 victory against Ostia Mare. Those matches brought their preparations to a close before the start of the new Serie A campaign.

Their first league fixture will be away to Bologna on Monday, 24 August. Frattesi’s arrival means he joins Lazio as they look to improve on last season’s ninth-place finish and begin the new campaign strongly.

The deal also sees the midfielder move from the club that ended Lazio’s Coppa Italia hopes in the previous season. Inter Milan’s 2-0 victory in the final was one of the defining results of Lazio’s campaign, while Frattesi leaves Inter having collected two Italian league titles, one Coppa Italia trophy and one Supercoppa Italiana.

Lazio’s pre-season results provide a positive backdrop to the transfer, with the club scoring 18 goals across their four warm-up games. They kept clean sheets in their opening victory over Flaminia and their final match against Ostia Mare, while conceding three times against Avellino and twice against Frosinone.

The club will now turn their attention to the league opener against Bologna, with Frattesi becoming the latest addition to their squad for the new season. His loan agreement gives Lazio the opportunity to retain him beyond the campaign if they decide to exercise the option to buy.