Midfield refreshed! Lazio unearth a Brazilian gem from war-torn Ukraine

Lazio is like a bus stop these days. Some are staying on, some are getting off, and the others are just checking in. A few days after the club from the Italian capital tied coach Maurizio Sarri to a new contract, the Biancocelesti are getting a midfield re-haul.

After five seasons of service, veteran Brazilian Lucas Leiva is leaving the club - and his compatriot Marcos Antonio is arriving from Ukrainian club Shakhtar to replace him. The 21-year-old was keen on a move that would take him out of war-torn Ukraine - and Lazio's offer of around $10 million suits the Miners perfectly.

The youngster will earn around $2 million per season and will have the role that Sarri used to give to Jorginho when the pair worked together both at Napoli and Chelsea. At just 166 cm tall, the youngster is very nifty and quick - a player born to play "Sarriball".

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This season Sarri has struggled to find a central midfield that really comes close to his ideas. This is why Leiva and Danilo Cataldi alternated with great frequency. Marcos Antonio should be the engine of Lazio's midfield next season.

He arrived to Shakhtar in February 2019 for around $3.5 million from Portuguese club Estoril and quickly established himself as a classy midfielder with great vision and anticipation. He was particularly inspired in October 2020, when his Shakhtar stunned Real Madrid by beating them 3-2 in the Champions League. That day, Antonio tormented another Brazilian midfield beast, Casemiro.

Lazio have big plans and need players who could turn Sarri's all-action, all-attack ideas into reality. Marcos Antonio arrives as the first piece of the puzzle.