Lazio's Late Window Plans: Gattuso Turns to Pinamonti After Dieng's Collapse
Bamba Dieng’s move to Lazio has collapsed, and it has blown the doors wide open on their late-window plans.
The Senegal forward failed his medical, according to Calcio Mercato, forcing the Biancocelesti to rip up their attacking blueprint and react on the fly. No slow reset, no time for reflection. They needed a new target immediately.
Gattuso already has one.
Gattuso turns to Pinamonti
Gennaro Gattuso has placed Sassuolo striker Andrea Pinamonti at the very top of his list. Not one of several options. The option.
Born in 1999 and already hardened by Serie A, Pinamonti has surged to the front of Lazio’s thinking as the man to lead their line. The timing helps: the forward has formally asked to leave Sassuolo, a move that hands Lazio a clear advantage in negotiations and signals the player’s readiness for a new stage.
The situation, though, is not entirely without friction.
Fiorentina lurking, Kean the domino
Fiorentina are keeping a close eye on developments. Their interest is described as watchful rather than aggressive for now, but that could change quickly.
The hinge is Moise Kean. If the forward completes his heavily-rumoured switch to Como, Fiorentina will need a replacement. Pinamonti fits the profile, and that would instantly sharpen their stance in the market.
For the moment, Lazio still stand at the front of the queue. The player wants out, Gattuso wants him in, and the Roman club are moving with intent. But one completed deal elsewhere could turn this into a straight duel.
A busy Lazio window under Gattuso
Pinamonti would not arrive in a vacuum. He would be the finishing piece of what has already been an assertive summer from Lazio under Gattuso.
The club have brought in Alfonso Pedraza from Villarreal to add thrust on the flank. Davide Frattesi has arrived on loan from Inter Milan, injecting legs and goals into midfield. At the back, Danilho Doekhi has been signed from Union Berlin to stiffen the defensive spine.
Pinamonti, with his nine goals for Sassuolo in the 2025–26 campaign, offers something different: proven, domestic scoring pedigree and a profile tailored to Serie A’s rhythms. Not a superstar signing, but a striker who knows the league, the defenders, the grind.
Exactly the sort of reliability Gattuso tends to trust.
Clock ticking on decisive talks
The urgency is clear. With the window closing, Lazio want Pinamonti in the door and on the training pitch as soon as possible. Gattuso is pushing to have his new focal point integrated quickly, ready to “hit the ground running” in the coming fixtures rather than spending September playing catch-up.
Lazio and Sassuolo are expected to hold decisive talks in the coming days to thrash out the structure of the deal. The framework, the formula, the final numbers — all of it needs to be settled fast.
What began as a blow with Dieng’s failed medical has turned into a late-market opportunity. If Lazio can now convert their advantage into Pinamonti’s signature, this frantic pivot could end up defining their entire season in front of goal.
