Tottenham Hotspur target Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic amidst Manchester United interest
According to Italian source Calciomercato via lalaziosiamonoi (h/t The Mirror), Tottenham Hotspur have identified Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as a transfer target amidst interest from Manchester United. The former will look to move for him at the end of this season, paving the way for a potential bidding war.
Antonio Conte is “crazy” about using Milinkovic-Savic to bolster his side’s midfield this summer. Fabio Paratici is a keen admirer of the central midfielder as well, which means that Tottenham will rival Man United for his services. However, the latter is “serious” about signing him, so Spurs would find it difficult to complete a transfer.
The Serb has a contract at Stadio Olimpico until 2024, which has seen the Serie A club value him at a price of around £65million. That being said, the North Londoners could drive down the amount through negotiations if they are actively interested in the midfielder.
Spurs to sign Milinkovic-Savic?
It is understandable why the club is looking to bring in a midfielder this summer, even though the 52-year-old coach utilises a two-man midfield pairing. While we are not affected by the lack of depth even with Oliver Skipp’s injury right now, that is mostly down to how we only have the Premier League to focus on this term.
Following the departures of Dele Alli, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele, we had only brought in Rodrigo Bentancur in January. While the Frenchman and the Argentine only moved on a loan spell, the decision to let them leave midway through an important season shows where they stand in Conte’s pecking order.
Injuries and suspensions can hamper our season, plus more options also give the former Chelsea boss the chance to tinker with his formations when necessary. Milinkovic-Savic would be a useful signing in such a case. Having rarely had lengthy injury issues, the Serbian international has been a regular for Lazio since his move from Genk in the summer of 2015.
After all, the Serie A superstar has been splendid throughout this season, having scored nine goals and ten assists from 41 matches across all competitions. He has developed his game to become a well-rounded midfielder, becoming a dominant presence in the attack as well as the defence.
Competition from Ralf Rangnick’s side would not make it easy for us, which is made worse by the interests of other clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus as well. Hence, Champions League football could influence the 27-year-old’s future decision.
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We are currently in the driving seat, and should that continue, UCL football will be back at N17 next season. Whether that aids us in our pursuit of Milinkovic-Savic remains to be seen but he is one player that the Spurs board would be wise to splash the cash on.
