Monaco and Lazio battle for Tijjani Noslin as Torino and Villarreal join race
ROME — Lazio forward Tijjani Noslin is attracting interest from three European clubs, with Ligue 1 side Monaco opening formal negotiations to sign the 26-year-old Dutchman.
Noslin joined Lazio from Hellas Verona in the summer of 2024 but has spent much of his tenure on the bench. The club’s recent acquisition of Daniel Maldini is expected to facilitate Noslin's departure before the transfer deadline.
According to reports from Italy, Monaco and Lazio are currently discussing a loan deal that would include either an option or an obligation to buy.
Torino is also pursuing Noslin in an effort to reunite him with manager Marco Baroni. The club reportedly offered 34-year-old Colombian striker Duvan Zapata in a potential swap deal, but Lazio rejected the proposal.
Villarreal has also joined the race, making inquiries about the player on Monday. Negotiations for the Dutch attacker are expected to accelerate during the final week of the January transfer window.
Saigon Sentinel Analysis
The Tijjani Noslin saga serves as a quintessential case study in the dynamics of the January transfer window, where underutilized assets are increasingly leveraged as high-demand commodities. For Lazio, the move to offload Noslin—either through a permanent sale or a strategic loan—represents a calculated effort to rationalize the squad and recover capital following the acquisition of Daniel Maldini. Lazio’s categorical rejection of a swap deal for Duván Zapata signals a clear preference for fiscal liquidity; management is prioritizing cash-positive transactions or structured loans over the acquisition of depreciating, veteran assets.
The bidding landscape reveals divergent institutional strategies. AS Monaco has adopted a decisive stance, initiating direct negotiations to fulfill a specific tactical requirement. In contrast, Torino’s interest is characterized by a relationship-driven mandate, fueled by manager Marco Baroni’s desire to reintegrate a former protégé—a common driver of market activity. Meanwhile, Villarreal appears to be in a price-discovery phase, likely maintaining a "probing" posture to capitalize on a potential late-window bargain.
The proposed deal structure—a loan coupled with an option or obligation to purchase—reflects the broader trend of risk mitigation in contemporary sports finance. This framework provides acquiring clubs with a necessary vetting period before committing to a significant capital expenditure, a safeguard that is becoming standard for players like Noslin who have yet to establish a track record of sustained performance at the highest level.