Lazio CEO Claudio Lotito has branded Daichi Kamada as a ‘mercenary’ after the club failed to sign the Japan midfielder to a new deal.

Kamada had initially signed a one-year deal with Lazio and while things didn’t work out for him under Maurizio Sarri, they turned around under Igor Tudor. The Croatian saw him as a key part of the project but Lazio failed to sign the player to a new deal due to financial demands, causing a stir at the club.

With Kamada set to join Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace, Lotito has now spoken to Corriere della Sera (via La Lazio Siamo Noi) and he has stated that Kamada and his agents tried to blackmail the club.

He said: “There is a lot to do, I’m tired of players who think they can blackmail us. We want people attached to the shirt, for whom Lazio is a point of arrival.”

He further said: “For Kamada they asked us for a one-year renewal and a bonus of €2.5 million euros upon signing. We will send away all the players who turn out to be mercenaries and we will start again from scratch.”

Lazio’s failure to sign Kamada has also brought about question marks about the future of Tudor, who saw the midfielder as a key part of the project. He now seems distanced from the club and is considering an early exit due to the difference in vision.

Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN