Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly monitoring Manchester United target Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
As per reports from the Mirror, Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who was a summer target for Manchester United, is being tracked by Premier League trio Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
The 23-year-old has established himself as one of the finest young midfielders across Europe over the past couple of seasons, which led to plenty of interest in his services throughout the summer window.
Manchester United were believed to be at the forefront of that interest, with manager Jose Mourinho looking for reinforcements in the middle of the park. However, the Red Devils were priced out of a move, with Lazio demanding transfer fees well in excess of €100 million.
While the interest from Manchester United’s end seems to have cooled off in recent weeks, there is an outside chance that they might come back in for Milinkovic-Savic in the winter window, as Paul Pogba faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford.
The Frenchman, who is being chased by Barcelona, has drawn the ire of the manager and fans alike in recent weeks for his poor displays and unsavoury comments in the media. In light of recent developments, an exit in the winter window remains a possibility for Pogba and should that come to be, Manchester United could rekindle their interest in Milinkovic-Savic.
However, signing the Serb will be anything but easy for the Red Devils, now that they are set to be rivalled by as many as three other Premier League clubs. Liverpool, City and Spurs were all reportedly watching Milinkovic-Savic in action last Sunday, as he scored in Lazio’s 4-1 win over Genoa .
Neighbours and reigning champions Manchester City have been in the market for a new midfield addition since the summer. Manager Pep Guardiola is keen on adding more quality to his side in the middle of the park, and having missed out on the signings of Fred and Jorginho in the summer, he seems to have now turned his attention towards Milinkovic-Savic.
Liverpool brought in two quality midfielders in the summer transfer window in the form of Naby Keita and Fabinho. With James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum performing brilliantly in the new season and the presence of club captain Jordan Henderson, there doesn’t seem to be any immediate need for a new central midfielder at Anfield at the moment.
Tottenham, on the other hand, are staring at the prospect of losing Belgian international Mousa Dembele, who is being chased by clubs in China. Add to that the injury issues hampering Victor Wanyama, which means a new addition in the centre of the park in January might become a necessity for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, leading to the interest in Milinkovic-Savic.
The Serb has featured seven times in all competitions for Lazio this term, bagging a solitary goal and an assist. His current contract with the Italian outfit runs till the summer of 2022, but the club are reportedly planning to tie him down with a new and improved deal.
It is unlikely that Liverpool will make a move for him in January and given the exorbitant transfer fees that Lazio are likely to demand, Spurs would also be out of contention with the new stadium costs to cover. That would leave the two Manchester clubs heading for another showdown in January, like they did for the signing of Alexis Sanchez earlier this year.