The deal had been finalized for 10 million euros; the player was set to earn 6 million per year. The documents did not arrive in Qatar by 10 p.m. Italian time, when the transfer window closed

Alessio Romagnoli remains—unhappily—at Lazio. After a long back-and-forth, the Biancocelesti had transferred him to Roberto Mancini’s Al-Sadd. However, the contracts were not filed in time, and the deal cannot be finalized.

black smoke—  The agreement, therefore, had been reached; the signatures were affixed just over half an hour before the transfer window closed in Qatar (at 10 p.m. Italian time on January 31). This was a sign that the mutual intention was to bring the deal to a successful conclusion. President Claudio Lotito had even secured more favorable terms than those negotiated a week earlier, before the first dramatic setback. The deal had been finalized for 10 million euros, with the player set to receive 6 million per year. But after pushing too hard, the deal fell through. Romagnoli, who would have seen his salary double, is furious; the Biancocelesti had also already begun negotiations with Union Berlin and Juventus for Diogo Leite and Rugani. It all fell through—not by choice, but due to timing. And Romagnoli, who has been on paternity leave since Tuesday, must remain in Rome against his will. He’s under contract with Lazio through 2027, but his relationship with the club is at an all-time low.