Arsenal will not have it easy in their pursuit of Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in the January transfer window.
Fabrizio Romano has told Give Me Sport that Arsenal will find it difficult to get a deal done for Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The Gunners have been in contact with the player’s entourage regarding a potential move, and they will be stepping in order the him to North London. But Lazio will unlikely sell the Serb in January while demanding €100 million for him.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is right in the midst of his prime, and any clubs willing to rope in the midfielder will have to splash a sizeable fee. But the Serbian international will be entering the last year of his current deal in the summer, and the Gunners want to take advantage of that situation.
Lazio president Claudio Lotito has remained firm on his demand that the player will cost in the region of €100 million despite his current contractual situation. Milinkovic-Savic has not yet committed to fresh terms, and his price could take a nosedive in the summer.
Lazio are not ready to negotiate in the middle of the season, especially when they are perilously hanging in the 4th place in Serie A. They have managed to give Inter Milan a slip due to a better goal difference but need to widen the gap if they want to cement their position in the top four.
Arsenal’s London rival Chelsea are also said to be in the race as Graham Potter is eyeing a couple of midfielders to replace the current crop of players. And while the player is reportedly fascinated by the Arsenal project, Fabrizio Romano has claimed it would be a tough job for Arsenal to convince Lazio in selling one of the most prized assets.
“Milinkovic-Savic, Lazio don’t want to sell him in January, so I think it’s going to be really, really complicated. Let’s see in the summer because he has one year left on his contract, June 2024, so let’s see what’s going to happen. But for January, Lazio will try to keep the player at all costs.”
It remains to be seen whether the Gunners wait till the summer when his price could drop or if they pay a premium of around €100 million to force the midfielder in joining the club next month. For now, Arsenal remain in contact with Milinkovic-Savic’s entourage.