Arsenal have reportedly submitted a bid of around €40 million for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as a summer transfer looms large.
According to Calciomercato, Arsenal have made an offer of around €40 million to sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. Mikel Arteta has the Serb as one of the options for the summer transfer window as the Gunners look for a new midfielder to compete with Granit Xhaka.
Mikel Arteta has plenty of work ahead of the summer transfer window. And there could be new arrivals at the Emirates. While Arsenal are in the thick of the title race, their participation in the UEFA Champions League seems inevitable. Playing in Europe’s premier competition requires a large squad with quality players, something they somewhat lack in all areas.
Arsenal did an excellent job recruiting Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior and Jorginho to strengthen the squad in January. However, there are other positions Arteta would like to bolster. And signing midfield options in the summer becomes imperative.
Arteta needs a specific style of midfielder who could contribute to the final third activities. While he has transformed Granit Xhaka’s role, which yielded plenty of goals and assists earlier in the season, he would like competition for places in that zone.
Fabio Vieira is more involved in recent games, and the Portuguese star has consistently come on for Xhaka for the last parts. There is a feeling Arteta views the former FC Porto star in a different role, possibly to compete with Martin Odegaard, leaving the room to sign a new star to compete with the Switzerland captain. That brings Sergej Milinkovic-Savic into the picture.
There were some links over a January move. But no club would have paid what Serie A giants Lazio wanted for the midfield powerhouse. In the summer, the Serb would enter the final year of his deal, thus opening the doors for teams like Arsenal and Newcastle United, who seem keen.
The report suggests his agent, Mateja Kezman, has received offers for Milinkovic-Savic. There is the suggestion that Arsenal made a bid of around €40 million for the Serbian midfield powerhouse. These links have come after stories claimed the Gunners are open to extending Xhaka’s contract.
From the look of things, Arteta may want absolute certainty about the quality of players in the squad ahead of the new season. Playing in the Champions League will require certain top players, like Milinkovic-Savic.
Paying €40 million for a 28-year-old in the final year of his deal makes complete sense. Whether Lazio would accept those numbers remains the question. But Milinkovic-Savic might open the doors for a move to the Premier League and Arsenal if the opportunity comes by after several years in Serie A.
