Arsenal are favourites to sign Sergei Milinkovic-Savic with the Lazio midfielder keen on leaving the club at the end of the season, according to Corriere dello Sport via Sport Witness.
The 27-year-old, who has been linked with a move to the Gunners over the last few years, has two-years left on his current contract and the newspaper claims Milinkovic-Savic has already made his decision to leave Lazio at the end of the season.
Mikel Arteta is gradually building a formidable team to compete for trophies with big clubs such as Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea in the Premier League.
Arteta has assembled a group of hungry and talented players ready to fight for the badge of Arsenal and this season is evidence of his hard work as they sit top of the league table with 50 points, five points above defending champions Manchester City.
The north Londoners signed Jorginho from Chelsea to bolster the squad for the second half of the season after failing to land Brighton’s Moises Caicedo. They had two late bids worth at least £70m rejected by the South Coast club.
Arsenal have been linked with a move for several midfielders in the summer including Premier League duo Declan Rice and Youri Tielemans, however competition from other clubs would mean thy have to keep their options open and Milinkovic-Savic is seemingly on their radar.
The report by Corriere dello Sport claims that Arsenal tried to sign the Serbian last summer and they could finally sign him as Milinkovic-Savic has made the decision to leave at the end of the season. And the report says his favoured destination is Arsenal.
Provide depth
Arteta lacks midfield options as he’s too reliant on Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey in the middle of the park. Jorginho is a short-term solution but Arsenal need a quality signing in the summer to provide the needed competition and squad depth.
Milinkovic-Savic would be an excellent option as he’s one of the most sought after midfielders in Italy following his inspired performances for Lazio since joining them from Genk in 2015. He racked up 251 appearances in all competitions, scoring 64 goals and providing 59 assists in the process.
This season, he has featured in 28 games and made 14 goal contributions in all competitions for Lazio. Milinkovic-Savic is valued at £53m by Transfermarkt, but Arsenal would hope to agree a cut-price deal given his contract situation.
He could represent a cheaper option compared to Rice and Caicedo, so Milinkovic-Savic could be a shrewd signing for the Gunners if they are able to sign him this summer.
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