Real Madrid are reportedly planning a late move to try and sign Manchester United target Sergej Milinkovic-Savic this summer.
As per reports from TransferMarketWeb, European champions Real Madrid are set to continue their pursuit of Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic by making a fresh bid before the transfer window closes.
The 23-year old has been in demand all summer, having been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, while there have been reports of interest from AC Milan, Juventus and Chelsea as well.
Real Madrid too have been rumoured to be monitoring the Serbian sensation and now the Merengues are pondering over making a late swoop to land the Lazio star before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month.
And they have been handed a boost in their pursuit as Milinkovic-Savic is reportedly considering his future at the club, following his side’s 1-2 defeat at the hands of Napoli this past weekend in the season opener.
The Serbian midfielder has developed into one of the most exciting midfielders across Europe, since moving to Lazio back in 2015 from Belgian side Genk. Having netted 14 goals and set up 9 more from 48 appearances across all competitions last season for the Italian club, the 23-year old made a strong impression in the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Serbia as well.
Having lost star man Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus this summer, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez remains keen on making a marquee signing before the transfer window closes.
The club have brought in goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea, along with exciting young additions in the form of Vinicius Junior and Alvaro Odriozola. However, new manager Julen Lopetegui wants to add a few more players to his squad, preferably in the central midfield department, having loaned out Mateo Kovacic to Chelsea.
A move for Bayern Munich superstar Thiago Alcantara is at the top of Lopetegui’s priority list. However, with the German champions unlikely to sanction a sale, Milinkovic-Savic remains an option for Los Blancos.
The price tag that Lazio have slapped on the 23-year old Serbian international is proving to be the deal-breaker as the Biancocelesti are unwilling to lower their demands of €160 million for the player.
Milinkovic-Savic had recently insisted that he wouldn’t consider leaving Lazio this summer. The midfielder still has four years left on his contract and the Serie A side are reportedly set to offer him a new contract to ward off interest from the European heavyweights. The new deal would see his wages almost doubled and will have a release clause inserted into it as well.
However, with the latest report claiming that the 23-year old is now seriously pondering an exit, Lazio’s hand could be forced into cashing in on the player. With just a little over a week left for the European transfer windows to close, Real Madrid will have to act quickly if they are to capitalize on the situation and get their hands on the giant Serb.