Manchester United are the main contenders to sign Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Corriere dello Sport (today’s edition, page 18) claims.
The Red Devils are eyeing a new central midfielder this summer as they are set to lose Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba when their contracts expire at the end of June.
Milinkovic-Savic has been long linked with United, and Corriere dello Sport report that the club ‘remain the main track’ for a move during the upcoming transfer window.
Juventus have cooled their transfer interest amid their pursuit of Pogba while Paris Saint-Germain’s plans are uncertain after the dismissal of sporting director Leonardo.
Lazio are looking for around €80 million (£68.5m) for the midfielder, but the player’s representative Mateja Kezman believes the transfer cost won’t exceed £56-60m.
Our view:
Milinkovic-Savic has been a quality performer for Lazio over the past seven years. In the recently-concluded campaign, he bagged 11 goals and 12 assists from 47 outings.
The 27-year-old played almost every game from the central midfield role. With Pogba on course to leave United, the midfielder would be an ideal replacement with his creativity.
The Serbian is also no slouch when it comes to defensive contributions. He averaged 1.8 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per league game last term, winning nearly three aerial duels.
Hence, he could be the perfect all-round midfielder for the Red Devils. He also likes to have more of the ball with 64 passes/game which should suit the style of play under Erik ten Hag.
It remains to be seen whether the new United manager gives the green light to the move. The Dutchman seems to have the preference to reunite with Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong this summer.
Unlike Milinkovic-Savic, De Jong is not known for his creativity in the final third, but is excellent with his distribution – 91 percent of his passes completed, much superior to Milinkovic-Savic (82).
The Netherlands international could be prised away for a similar fee amid Barcelona’s financial concerns.
