The 22 year old Argentine currently plays his football with Italian side Lazio in Serie A. The Argentine gained notoriety throughout Europe last season when he scored 13 goals as Lazio won the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup.
Despite being a fan’s favourite, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool have all expressed an interest in the past month following Zarate’s falling-out with new Lazio boss Edy Reja. Davide Ballardini was sacked by Lazio in early February, and Zarate has struggled to earn a place in the starting eleven since Reja’s appointment. Reja labelled the player greedy in possession, and lazy off the ball just weeks ago, prompting rumours that the player may be available in the summer. Zarate’s brother Sergio, who acts as his agent, responded by telling Sky Sports:
"It's normal that there are clubs all over the world interested in Mauro,
"But no-one has ever contacted me up to now.
"Even if there were offers, my brother wouldn't move because he is too attached to the Lazio fans."
However, Zarate was again an unused substitute in Lazio’s 1-1 draw with Fiorentina at the weekend, and if he is not a part of Reja’s plans, Zarate may have to seek pastures new before long. It is rumoured that Zarate has a €60 million buy-out clause in his contract, but it is believed a bid of around £15m would be enough to begin negotiations with the Italian club.
Zarate started his career in Argentina with Vélez Sársfield, before moving to Al-Sadd in the Qatari League in 2007. However, Zarate began making a name for himself before his 21st birthday in the Premier League with Birmingham City. On 21 January 2008 Zarate joined Birmingham until the end of the 2007/08 season with a view to a permanent deal. He scored four goals for Birmingham, making six starts and eight appearances as a substitute. Zarate scored a memorable brace against Manchester City and a spectacular free-kick against Everton. Were it not for Birmingham’s relegation to the Championship, Zarate would almost definitely have earned a move to St. Andrew’s, but his efforts were not sufficient to keep the Blues afloat and he returned to Al-Sadd.
Zarate did not remain in Qatar long, joining Lazio on a season long loan on 5 July 2008, again with an option to make the move permanent. Zarate scored 13 goals in 35 league appearances for Lazio in his debut season, prompting Lazio to part with €20 million for the player’s services.
Zarate’s time in the Premier League with Birmingham was a relative success, whilst in Italy, although inconsistent, Zarate has shown flashes of his potential. Further, despite his young age, he is relatively experienced, and so the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City may be prepared to take a risk on the highly talented Argentine striker this summer.
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