Arsenal are interested in signing Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in the upcoming summer window, as per reports in Italy. The Gunners are exploring their options to strengthen the midfield in case Granit Xhaka or Thomas Partey leaves.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic signed for SS Lazio in the summer of 2015. The Serbian midfielder has been one of the highest performing midfielders in the Serie A since moving to Italy. He has always looked close to a move to a big club since the 2017-18 season but has ended up staying with at the Italian club.
The 27-year-old has made 323 appearances for the Serie A club across all competitions, scoring 64 goals and providing 59 assists (stats via Transfermarkt). He is a core member of the team and would be a huge loss for the Italian outfit if he departs. Thereby, Lazio are expected to demand more than the market value for the player.
According to Italian news outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Football Talk), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic wants to leave Lazio at the end of this season and Arsenal are being touted as the frontrunners to secure his signature. The report states that the midfielder prefers a move to the Emirates Stadium.
The Serbian midfielder has been one of the most sought-after options in Italy as well as Europe for a long time. Manchester United, Chelsea and other Premier League clubs made attempts to sign the 27-year-old in the previous seasons, including Arsenal.
The Gunners are already targeting West Ham’s Declan Rice in the summer and also have Youri Tielemans on their radar. But the competition for both these players is very high within the league. Arsenal are forced to look outside England for options and one of the first names to pop up was Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
🚨 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will leave Lazio due to his ‘desire to try a new experience’, with his decision now ‘irreversible’. Arsenal ‘remain the favourite destination’ of the player & they have ‘taken the most convinced steps’ in signing him. [@CorSport via @Sport_Witness] #afc pic.twitter.com/mlOktXzPUd
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) February 6, 2023
There are doubts as to how long Granit Xhaka can keep up the good form that he has displayed this season. The Gunners did try to sign Moises Caicedo in the recently concluded January window, but nothing materialised as they had two bids in the region of £70 million rejected by Brighton & Hove Albion. Arsenal ended up signing Jorginho from Chelsea to avail some cover for Partey.
Can Sergej Milinkovic-Savic Shine At Arsenal?
Arsenal are still short on box-to-box midfielders – players who can carry the ball from defence to attack. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is the perfect option to carry out the responsibility as he has been doing the playing the exact same role consistently at Lazio.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The definition of a complete midfielder. Elite qualities on the ball as well as aerially. Strong passing range and is defensively solid. Will be the best midfielder in football soon. pic.twitter.com/vp6y0NvdXM
— TacticalRole (@TacticalRole) December 10, 2019
The 27-year-old is capable of playing multiple roles in the centre of the park. He can play as a holding midfielder as well as a box-to-box midfielder, although he is usually deployed in the mezzala role at Lazio. He does his best work when he is given the license to go forward to help the attack. Arsenal currently have Xhaka playing in that role but is more of a safer option as he rarely goes forward.
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Arsenal do not have a real replacement available in their squad if Granit Xhaka gets injured or suspended. Mikel Arteta’s project is tempting a lot of players to move to the Emirates. Bringing Milinkovic-Savic to the Emirates Stadium will cause anxiety amongst the rivals of Arsenal. The Gunners will also be a real threat in the Champions League.
The Serbian has got it all, from physicality and aerial duels to technicality, killer passing range and professionalism. He certainly could be a threat and cause many problems for the opposition. Although it is a big money move, Arsenal should give maximum effort to bring Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to the Premier League.
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