Lazio forward Petar Ratkov enters the early weeks of the 2026-27 Serie A campaign in a position that is contractually precarious rather than athletically diminished: still a Biancocelesti player, yet bound to a conditional sale structure that could transfer him to Levante without any further negotiation between the clubs. The specific clauses that would trigger an obligation to buy have been confirmed, meaning Ratkov's future is now governed by thresholds rather than form.
The distinction matters because it reframes how Ratkov's minutes — or absence of them — should be read. A 23-year-old forward who has not yet appeared in Serie A this season, and who carries an AI overall of 57 out of 100 with a potential of 68, is not a player whose value is fixed. He is one whose ceiling is still being argued over, and the structure of his conditional sale suggests Levante are betting on the upside while Lazio retain the right to benefit if those conditions are never met.
Lazio's squad list submitted to the league offers some clarity on the club's immediate priorities. Luca Pellegrini and Patric were cut from the registered group, while Gudmundsson and other summer arrivals were included. Ratkov's inclusion or exclusion from that list is not specified in available information, but the broader picture — a club trimming peripheral figures and integrating new faces — suggests Gattuso's Lazio is in active reconfiguration.
Ivan Gattuso's side has opened the season with two wins from two, conceding nothing and collecting six points. That defensive solidity and early momentum give the squad a degree of stability, but they also compress the opportunity for a forward on the fringes. When a team wins without you, the argument for your inclusion becomes harder to make.
Ratkov did appear in the Coppa Italia this season, logging one match without a goal or assist — a cameo that confirms his presence in the squad structure without clarifying his standing within it. The conditional sale to Levante now hangs over every squad decision: if the clauses are met, he leaves; if they are not, Lazio must decide whether a player of his profile fits their ambitions in the second half of the season.
At 23, Ratkov has time on his side, but the calendar is not waiting.