[Official] Mohamed Fares Joins Forte Virtus On Loan From Lazio

Lazio have finalized the transfer of Mohamed Fares, the Algerian winger born in 1996, who departs the Italian capital to begin a new chapter of his career in the United Arab Emirates. Fares will join Forte Virtus, a club led by former Hellas Verona president Maurizio Setti, after several challenging seasons marked by injuries and short-lived loan spells.

According to news reports, the deal has been structured as a loan with an option to buy, allowing the Emirati club to assess Fares’ form before committing to a permanent transfer. The agreement also reportedly includes a clause allowing Forte Virtus to resell the player on international markets if a favorable offer emerges in the future.

Before sanctioning the move, Lazio president Claudio Lotito extended Fares’ contract by one year, now running until June 2027. The extension was a strategic decision intended both to facilitate the player’s acceptance of the move and to ensure financial protection for the club in the event of a future sale.

For Lazio, the operation represents the conclusion of a long and complex story. Since his arrival in 2020 from SPAL, Fares has struggled to find consistency, limited by recurring injuries and a series of loans to Genoa, Torino, and Ankaragücü. Despite flashes of quality and several appearances with the Algerian national team, the winger had fallen out of the club’s technical plans.

The Biancoceleste management viewed the deal as a practical step toward reducing the wage bill and streamlining the squad, while focusing on players more aligned with the club’s current sporting project.