Cadiz are close to completing a deal for Argentine midfielder Gonzalo Escalante, after a successful loan spell at the club, according to reports coming out of Italy.
Escalante, 30, joined Cadiz in January on loan from Lazio and started 14 of their 20 games in their relegation run-in. He also scored four goals and gave an assist for the Yellow Submarine, providing valuable threat from midfield for a side that tends to struggle for goals.
Of the six games he did not start, five were down to injury, and from his five goal contributions, Cadiz earned an extra seven points, which it could be said was the difference between relegation and staying up.
According to La Lazio Siamo Noi (via The Laziali), Cadiz are close to a signing Escalante on a permanent deal. The Yellow Submarine are set to buy him outright having met two conditions; survival and Escalante appearing in 50% of Cadiz’s games for at least 45 minutes. The value of the deal is placed at around €5m.
Escalante’s arrival will no doubt be a boost to Cadiz, who improved greatly with his arrival. If that figure is accurate, it will be something of a surprise to see Cadiz invest such a relatively large amount in a player unlikely to have major resale value. Escalante would be their most expensive transfer ever.
