Lazio's Search for a Striker: Gattuso Targets Andrea Pinamonti

Bamba Dieng’s move to Lazio has collapsed at the final hurdle, with the Senegal forward failing his medical and forcing the club into an abrupt late-window rethink, according to Calcio Mercato.

Gattuso’s New Obsession

The setback did not leave Gennaro Gattuso staring at the floor for long. Lazio’s coach has already fixed on a new target: Sassuolo striker Andrea Pinamonti, who has been pushed right to the top of the club’s attacking wishlist.

Born in 1999 and already well-travelled in Serie A, Pinamonti has emerged as the preferred option to lead the line in Rome. This is not a tentative idea or a long list scenario. For Gattuso, he is the man.

Crucially, Pinamonti has told Sassuolo he wants to leave. That request hands Lazio a strong negotiating platform and a clear opening to strike a deal, with the player ready for a new chapter after his spell in Emilia-Romagna.

Fiorentina Lurking in the Background

The race, though, is not uncontested. Fiorentina are watching the market carefully and have Pinamonti firmly on their radar. Their interest could intensify quickly if Moise Kean completes his heavily-rumoured transfer to Como, a move that would leave the Viola needing another forward.

So while Lazio sit in pole position, they cannot afford to drift. Any delay risks inviting Fiorentina into a direct battle for the Italian striker.

An Aggressive Lazio Window

Pinamonti would arrive as the latest piece in a busy and assertive summer under Gattuso. Lazio have already moved for Alfonso Pedraza from Villarreal, added Davide Frattesi on loan from Inter Milan, and strengthened the defence with Danilho Doekhi from Union Berlin.

Those signings have reshaped the squad’s spine. A centre-forward with proven Serie A output would complete the picture and give Gattuso the focal point his system demands.

Pinamonti brings exactly that: domestic know-how and a record that carries weight. He hit nine goals for Sassuolo in the 2025–26 campaign, a return that underlines his reliability in a league where chances are rarely gifted.

Race Against the Clock

Now it comes down to negotiations. Lazio and Sassuolo are expected to sit down for decisive talks in the coming days, working through the structure of a deal as the window ticks towards its close.

Gattuso wants his striker in immediately, not as a late cameo to a drawn-out saga. The plan is clear: get Pinamonti through the door, drop him straight into the squad, and let him attack the opening fixtures with fresh energy.

If Lazio can finalise the agreement, they will have turned a failed medical and a collapsed deal into a rapid, calculated pivot – and potentially secured the number nine to define Gattuso’s first season in Rome.