Intermediaries have reportedly offered 27-year-old Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to Real Madrid.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Real Madrid will have the chance to sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in the 2023 summer transfer window. But the reigning La Liga champions will prioritise signing Jude Bellingham, leaving the 27-year-old Lazio midfielder as a contingency option.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has come leaps and bounds since joining Lazio from KRC Genk in August 2015. One of the best midfielders in Serie A, the Serb has been a mainstay in the middle of the park for the Italian club in the last seven seasons. And he has reached the peak of his powers in the last few years.
The 27-year-old is enjoying a solid 2022/23 season, chipping in with five goals and seven assists in 20 outings thus far. But Lazio will likely lose Milinkovic-Savic in the 2023 summer transfer window when he will have just one year left in his contract. And Real Madrid will have the opportunity to secure his services.
Milinkovic-Savic has been on Real Madrid’s radar for several years, with Los Blancos monitoring his progress closely. The 27-year-old has emerged as a possible target again in recent weeks. But the Serbian international is only a contingency option for Real Madrid, whose priority target is Jude Bellingham.
The English midfielder is one of the most highly sought-after players in the transfer market. In addition, Bellingham will have a prohibitive price tag on his head. And recent reports have claimed that Real Madrid will not fork out €150 million to sign the teenage prodigy next summer.
Milinkovic-Savic is thus a viable target for Real Madrid if the move for Bellingham does not see the light of day. The 27-year-old will not be a like-for-like successor to either Luka Modric or Toni Kroos. But he has the qualities to fit in seamlessly in the Real Madrid midfield unit.
So it will be interesting to see if the Serbian midfielder becomes a top target for Real Madrid next summer. Milinkovic-Savic is expected to leave Lazio after the ongoing season. But it is unclear if he will remain in Serie A by joining Juventus or move abroad after eight years in Italy.
