Juan Mata is a free agent after leaving Manchester United and was reportedly offered to Lazio by his representatives, but Maurizio Sarri was not convinced and blocked the move.
The 34-year-old creative midfielder had been at Old Trafford since January 2014 after leaving Chelsea in a deal worth €45m.
His contract runs out on June 30 and Il Messaggero report that Mata’s agent proposed him to Lazio this summer.
However, the same source also claims that Sarri did not believe Mata would fit in with the Biancocelesti squad at his disposal.
Mata has 41 senior caps for Spain, scoring 10 goals for his country.
He only made 12 competitive appearances for Manchester United in the current campaign, for a total 409 minutes of football.
There are already several Spanish players in the Lazio team, including Luis Alberto, Pedro and Patric.
Before moving to Chelsea, Mata was part of the Real Madrid youth academy, then developed at Valencia.