Lazio Pursue Franjo Ivanovic for Starting Role

Lazio are moving aggressively for Benfica striker Franjo Ivanovic, convinced they can offer something no one else at the table can: guaranteed trust and serious minutes.

The 22-year-old Croatia international only arrived in Lisbon last summer, a €22.8m signing from Union Saint-Gilloise, but his first year in Portugal never truly caught fire. Eight goals and two assists in 42 competitive appearances look respectable on paper. The problem sits beneath the numbers. He started just 13 of those games.

For a forward at his age, on the rise with his national team, that feels like a holding pattern, not a launchpad.

Reports from Sportitalia, via transfer specialist Alfredo Pedullà, paint a clear picture of Ivanovic’s priorities. He wants the pitch, not the bench. Regular playing time is said to be the decisive factor as he weighs up his next move, more important than league, status or even the financial package.

That is where Lazio believe they can steal a march.

The Roman club have reportedly contacted Benfica to explore a dry loan – a deal without an option to buy – a formula that would keep Benfica in control of the player’s long-term future while giving Ivanovic the chance to play a central role in Serie A right now. For Lazio, it is a low-risk, high-upside move. For Ivanovic, it is a chance to prove he can carry the load for a club with European ambitions.

They are not alone in the chase. Como have shown interest within Serie A, Galatasaray are circling from the Turkish Super Lig, and Hull City have entered the conversation from England. Real Betis have also been linked. Each destination offers a different type of project, a different kind of pressure.

Yet Lazio are betting that the promise of a starting shirt, the stage of the Olimpico and the tactical demands of Italian football will appeal to a striker who needs refinement through repetition, not cameos.

Ivanovic’s trajectory with Croatia underlines why this matters. He broke into the senior national team last year and already has two goals and one assist from nine caps. That return, at international level, hints at a player whose ceiling is higher than his current club role suggests.

The next move will define whether he stays a rotation option at a Champions League club or becomes a focal point somewhere else. Lazio have made their pitch clear: come to Rome, lead the line, and turn potential into status. The decision now rests with Benfica – and with a 22-year-old forward who knows he can no longer afford another season watching from the sidelines.