Juventus are reportedly set to battle Real Madrid and Manchester United for the signing of Lazio midfield mainstay Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
According to a report from Il Messaggero, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus are in a three-way tussle to sign Lazio and Serbia midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in the summer transfer window.
At the Italian club since 2015, Milinkovic-Savic has grown into one of the best midfielders in Serie A over the years. The 26-year-old has racked up 270 appearances for the Serie A outfit, scoring 52 goals and setting up 44 more. He has been in good nick this term as well, producing a tally of five goals and assists each from just 17 league games.
While he remains a quality player, the report claims that things are not all okay between Milinkovic-Savic and manager Maurizio Sarri, who is not entirely pleased with the Serbian’s attitude and how he carries himself. With the ex-Chelsea boss set to pen an extension with Lazio, the club could now be forced to part ways with the midfield mainstay at the end of the season.
Alerted by the development, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus are now battling to sign him up in the summer. Manchester United have held a long-standing interest in the 26-year-old, dating back to the days when Jose Mourinho was the manager. They have continued to keep tabs on the Serb and, with Paul Pogba expected to leave at the end of the season, view Milinkovic-Savic as a potential replacement.
As for Real Madrid will need to reinforce their midfield unit in the summer as Luka Modric is in the final phase of his career and sees his contract run out at the end of the season. Toni Kroos is also not getting any younger either. It makes sense for Los Blancos to start building a team for the immediate future, with Milinkovic-Savic emerging as a candidate to replace the veteran midfielder at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Juventus, too, are keen on adding the Serbian international to their roster, given that several central midfielders could leave Turin between now and the end of the season. Indeed, Aaron Ramsey, Adrien Rabiot, Weston McKennie and Arthur Melo have all been linked with exits from the Allianz Stadium, potentially leaving several vacancies in the middle of the park that someone like Milinkovic-Savic can fill.
The former Genk midfielder’s contract runs till the summer of 2024. While Lazio president Claudio Lotito had demanded exorbitant sums for his prized asset, the club could settle for a reasonable offer next year as they are suffering financially from the after-effects of the pandemic. It remains to be seen if either Manchester United, Real Madrid or Juventus come forward with an offer.
