Riso on Frattesi's Inter exit: "He was sad and low, now he's found his smile again"

Almost a month into the season, agent Giuseppe Riso has explained the background to Davide Frattesi's departure from Inter and his move to Lazio in the last summer transfer window. Speaking on Marco Nosotti's podcast "Colpi da Maestro", the agent said the transfer came simply from a lack of playing time: the midfielder was not getting enough minutes in Milan and had stopped feeling like a key player there.

According to Riso, there had already been an attempt to broker a move before the definitive sale went through, one that fell apart because Inter did not want to let him go. Only this summer, with club president Lotito described as a difficult but ultimately capable negotiator, was the deal finally completed, with Frattesi choosing Lazio over other possible destinations precisely because he wanted to feel central to a project again.

The agent's account ends on a more personal note, that of someone who says he has seen his client find his smile again after what he describes as a period of sadness and low spirits in the Inter shirt. Those words line up with the numbers: at Lazio, Frattesi has already scored 3 goals in just 5 league appearances, a scoring rate that had eluded him for long stretches in Milan.

For anyone who kept him on their fantasy roster, that is exactly the signal that mattered. Frattesi already carries a solid price tag this season: valued at 12, in the 11-20 bracket, where a strong rating earns an extra bonus point, and his early-season trend is already up five points. At Lazio he is fighting to keep his starting spot in a midfield where the main alternative, Zaccagni above all, is also performing well, competition that for now does not appear to be costing him playing time, judging by his appearances so far this season.

Riso also had a sharper word for the other side of his client list: Carlos Augusto, who moved from Monza to Inter last summer. Asked to rate that deal on a scale of one to ten, the agent gave it full marks while adding a pointed remark, saying he was angry with the Nerazzurri club for reasons he claimed Inter already knew. Riso did not spell out the source of the friction, and neither the player nor Inter have responded publicly to his comments.

What remains, beyond the sparring over a transfer window long since closed, is the detail that actually matters to fantasy football managers: away from Milan, Frattesi appears to have rediscovered both playing time and goals, and Lazio, for now, is the choice that gave him both back. Anyone who kept faith with him through a difficult summer can, at this point, call it justified.