TRANSFER NEWS
Lazio agree Petar Ratkov loan deal with Levante
Lazio have reportedly reached an agreement to send Petar Ratkov to Levante on loan, with the deal including a €1m loan fee and a €14m option to buy.
Petar Ratkov is close to leaving Lazio for Levante, with the two clubs reported to have reached an agreement over a loan deal that could become permanent next summer.
The transfer has not yet been officially announced, but reports in Italy citing Gianluca Di Marzio say the structure is a paid loan worth €1m, with Levante holding an option to buy set at €14m. Formal confirmation is still pending, so the move should be treated as agreed in principle rather than complete.
The deal would bring an early end to Ratkov’s difficult Lazio spell. The Serbian striker only arrived from Salzburg in January, but he has struggled to convince across two coaching cycles and has not established himself as a reliable part of the attacking rotation.
That context explains why Lazio have moved quickly to find a solution. Gennaro Gattuso’s squad is being reshaped in the final days of the window, and Ratkov had fallen behind other attacking options after Andrea Pinamonti’s arrival changed the centre-forward hierarchy.
For Levante, the move offers a low-upfront route to a striker with size, international pedigree and resale potential. The Spanish club had been competing with other suitors, including Sevilla, but Ratkov’s acceptance of the destination has pushed Levante into position to complete the deal.
The option structure also gives both clubs a degree of protection. Lazio can move on a forward who was no longer central to their plans while preserving the possibility of a larger fee, and Levante can assess whether Ratkov adapts to LaLiga before committing to the full €14m purchase.
Ratkov’s exit would be another piece of Lazio’s late-window reset rather than a standalone surprise. The club are clearing space in attack, adjusting around Gattuso’s preferences and trying to avoid carrying a striker who had already become a poor fit only months after arriving.
Until the clubs make the transfer official, the next steps remain documentation and announcement. The agreement is in place, but Ratkov’s move to Levante is still pending formal completion.