Chelsea are reportedly ready to contest Premier League rivals Manchester United for the signing of Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
According to football.london, Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has emerged as a summer target for Premier League giants Chelsea, who are ready to rival Manchester United for his signature. The Blues could be ready to offer 26-year-old Ruben Loftus-Cheek in a player-plus-cash deal.
Manchester United have been long-term admirers of Milinkovic-Savic, but a move has never materialised despite strong links. The Red Devils are planning a midfield overhaul this summer, with Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic set to depart, and the 27-year-old is reportedly once again on Manchester United’s radar.
But the Mancunian outfit are not the only club interested in his signature, with Chelsea also showing interest in Milinkovic-Savic. The Blues reportedly hold an advantage over the other interested parties, including Manchester United.
Current Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri is keen to reunite with Loftus-Cheek in Italy, and the English international, who is valued at €15-20 million by the CIES Observatory, can thus be used as bait to convince the Serie A side into selling the Serbian midfielder.
Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri: "I'm not sure that Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will leave this summer as it's not easy… but I'm convinced that if it happens, Milinkovic will sign for a foreign club and not an Italian one". ??? #transfers
Lazio want more than €70m for Milinkovic.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 17, 2022
Sarri recently stated that if the 27-year-old leaves Lazio this summer, which does not seem ‘easy’, it will be for a foreign club. “I’m not sure that Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will leave this summer as it’s not easy. But I’m convinced that if it happens, Milinkovic will sign for a foreign club and not an Italian one,” Sarri said as per Fabrizio Romano.
Chelsea are in the market for a central midfielder as the futures of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho still hang in the balance, with the duo entering the final year of their respective contracts next season. Loftus-Cheek does not seem to be the answer to Chelsea’s midfield issues.
Fabrizio Romano has reported that Lazio rate Milinkovic-Savic at €70 million. So including Loftus-Cheek in the deal would sweeten things for all parties involved, including the player, who has made 39 appearances for the Blues this season but has spent a lot of time on the bench.
If Chelsea are ready to press ahead with such a move, it will come as a major blow for Manchester United, who were planning an offer for the Serbian international. But recent reports had indicated that incoming Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is not particularly keen on signing Milinkovic-Savic.
Chelsea fc top priority should be Lautaro Martinez and three central defenders with a left back.