The Roman club's sporting director personally traveled to the Croatian capital to negotiate the transfer of 21-year-old Sergio Dominguez, whom Maksimir values at €12 million.
Lazio's sporting director, Angelo Fabiani, has personally arrived in Zagreb to try to finalize the transfer of Dinamo's center-back Sergio Dominguez. As reported by ZG Portal on August 4, 2026, citing Yardbarker and Sky Sport, the trip to Croatia clearly underscores how serious the Roman club is about securing the 21-year-old, who joined last summer from Barcelona's La Masia academy.
Lazio accelerated negotiations after agreeing to sell current center-back Mario Gila to Milan. New Lazio coach Gennaro Gattuso has identified Dominguez as the primary defensive reinforcement, and Fabiani didn't wait for intermediaries-he flew directly to the Croatian capital for talks with Dinamo's management.
According to ZG Portal, Dinamo Zagreb values its center-back at €12 million. Dominguez arrived at Maksimir last summer from Barcelona's youth setup and played a key role in his first season, helping the club secure a double-the league title and the Cup. His performances have attracted interest from clubs across Europe, and Lazio appears to be the first to make a concrete move.
Despite intense transfer speculation, Dominguez himself, in an interview with Spain's Marca, as relayed by Tportal, insists his focus is solely on Dinamo and securing Champions League qualification. "I have no idea. I haven't spoken to anyone. Even if a big offer came in, with a lot of money, my goal is to lead Dinamo into the Champions League. Once we achieve that, we'll see what happens next," Dominguez stated.
The young defender, who has made 43 appearances for Dinamo, emphasized his short-term objective: "My short-term goal is to secure Champions League qualification. To play in the Champions League as a starter and be an important part of the team, because it's a completely different experience compared to the Europa League or any other competition."
Dominguez is a product of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy and chose Dinamo last summer in search of consistent playing time. "It's been really good. I've played a lot, which is exactly what I needed after leaving Barcelona," he told Marca. He also highlighted the similarities between Dinamo and Barcelona following the arrival of the new board led by president Zvonimir Boban: "The playing philosophy is very similar. Almost identical: the 4-3-3 system, possession-based play, high pressing..."
Although he's learning Croatian and understands about 70 percent of football terminology, he admits that everyday communication off the pitch is challenging: "The words have no resemblance to Spanish, Catalan, or English. That makes things quite difficult." On the defensive side, though, he manages well thanks to teammates who speak Spanish-Dani Rodriguez, Raul Torrente, Matteo Perez Vinlöf, and Scott McKenna, who learned the language while playing for Las Palmas.
While fully focused on Dinamo at the moment, Dominguez doesn't hide his long-term ambitions. "My ultimate goal is to return home and play for Barça. I hope that will be possible. It's tough, but I'll try. I still have time," he said. He also aspires to play for Spain's U-21 national team and followed Spain's World Cup triumph: "I screamed when Ferran scored the goal."
While Fabiani negotiates in Zagreb, Dinamo is preparing for tonight's Champions League third qualifying round match against Lithuania's Kauno Žalgiris at Maksimir, kicking off at 8:00 PM. Dominguez's contract with Dinamo runs until the summer of 2029.
