How Guendouzi Played In Lazio Swansong As Sarri Issues Big Complaint
The Frenchman is on his way to Fenerbahce.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Updated on 08 January 2026
Matteo Guendouzi has likely played his final game in a Lazio shirt ahead of his expected move to Fenerbahce.
In recent days, speculation linking Guendouzi and Fenerbahce has intensified to the point that all signs now lead to Turkiye.
Indeed, there were fears that Guendouzi was not going to feature against Fiorentina on Wednesday night.
However, the Frenchman stepped up amid a personnel crisis at Lazio, and he played the full 90 minutes in the 2-2 draw.
Guendouzi delivers workmanlike display in Lazio swansong
Guendouzi delivered a typically workmanlike display in Lazio’s draw with the rock-bottom Viola.
Sky Sport gave him a 6 out of 10, reflecting a solid outing in which he put himself about a lot on the pitch.
Tuttomercatoweb also went with 6, noting he “didn’t spare himself” and kept battling through to the end in midfield duels.
Across Italian newspaper ratings, the consensus sat around the same mark, with a 6 from Corriere dello Sport and a 6.5 from Gazzetta dello Sport and Il Messaggero.
Meanwhile, Corriere della Sera went with a 5.5, suggesting some impact without real control of key moments.
Sarri disappointment at Guendouzi move
Sarri’s fiery post-match interview showed the world that all is not well at Lazio.
One of the issued he complained about was relating to Guendouzi’s departure and what it said about the Biancocelesti.
🚨🟡🔵 Mattéo Guendouzi to Fenerbahçe, here we go! Verbal agreement in place for €29m package, add-ons included.
Paperwork being drafted between clubs in order to give final green light and sign this week.
Guendouzi already agreed terms, as @yagosabuncuoglu reports. pic.twitter.com/WTG2GEutz1
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 7, 2026
“I honestly thought Guendouzi was one of the seven or eight players we could use to build the future of Lazio,” Sarri admitted.
“We are a club who cannot offer the same salaries as these other sides who come along, so I understand there are certain difficulties.”
Who could replace Guendouzi in Lazio midfield
Lazio have the unenviable task of having to replace two key players in the January transfer window.
Taty Castellanos joined West Ham earlier this month, and now Guendouzi is on his way out of Lazio too.
However, Lazio appear to have made fast in pursuit of an alternative to the French midfielder.
Lazio like Ajax’s Kenneth Taylor and, according to reports relayed by Footitalia, a deal is imminent.
Speculation involving Milan’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Lazio has also been doing the rounds in recent weeks.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte is a sports journalist with over a decade of professional experience in the industry. His main professional expertise is in soccer. Prior to joining FootItalia, he worked for the likes of Sports Mole, TBR Football, the Chelsea Chronicle and numerous other sites, along with having bylines in the likes of the Nottingham Post. He holds degrees in Journalism and International Relations.
Our unbiased editorial policy
Despite ongoing collaborations with commercial affiliates, the details, information, and reviews we provide remain honest and unbiased. We keep this in check by implementing a stringent editorial policy.
Our policy implements strict editorial standards, ensuring the integrity and trustworthiness of our articles, news, and reviews. Only the highest-quality content reaches our pages. We achieve this through conducting thorough research on each topic, conveyed to you using unbiased reporting, to ensure we earn your trust and keep it.
