Lotito on imminent Lazio arrival Ratkov: ‘We’ve been following him for a while; Castellanos wanted to leave’

Lazio president Claudio Lotito has moved to calm concerns among supporters amid a busy January window, confirming that the club’s pursuit of Petar Ratkov is the result of long-term planning rather than a rushed reaction to recent departures.

Speaking to DAZN ahead of Lazio’s clash with Fiorentina, with quotes via LaLazioSiamoNoi, Lotito rejected suggestions that the Biancocelesti are weakening the squad.

“We need to make rational assessments. I want to reassure everyone: Lazio are not dismantling anything,” Lotito said. “We have a structure that works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, monitoring players all over the world.”

Ratkov, set to arrive from Red Bull Salzburg, was described as a thoroughly scouted profile rather than an improvised signing.

“The striker is not an improvised move. He’s a player we’ve been following for a long time,” Lotito explained. “We even sent a scout to Bologna–Salzburg. We know everything about him, he’s very quick and has characteristics that Lazio needed.”

Lotito also addressed the exit of Valentín Castellanos, making clear the decision was driven by the player’s wishes.

“When a player wants to leave, we can’t hold him hostage,” he said. “We respected Castellanos’ desire to go, and in doing so we showed his true value.”

The Lazio president stressed that the funds raised will be reinvested immediately.

“Every euro will be reinvested. We are rejuvenating the squad and building a team with hunger, players who choose Lazio and want to prove their worth.”

Lotito concluded by underlining the club’s confidence in its scouting model.

“We have a scouting room at Formello with eight workstations. The players we target are studied carefully. The best ones are selected, nothing is left to chance.”