Arsenal ready to push for Milinkovic-Savic

Arsenal are ready to take action to bring Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to the Premier League this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: January talks held

The Serbian has now entered the final 18 months of his contract at the Stadio Olimpico and being Maurizio Sarri’s overall best-performing player, has caught the eye of Mikel Arteta.

The Mirror relayed reports that the Gunners were in talks with the 28-year-old’s agent, Mateja Kezman, regarding a potential deal in January, but a move failed to materialise before the deadline.

TalkSPORT have since claimed that the N7 outfit are in pole position to sign the maestro in the upcoming window, with the boss having identified him as an alternative to West Ham’s Declan Rice.

The Latest: Arsenal vs Juve for Milinkovic-Savic

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Arsenal and Juventus are both ‘at the window’ and ‘ready to take action’ to sign Milinkovic-Savic ahead of the 2023/24 term.

Lazio have tried to get him to commit to signing a new deal but he has ‘no such wish’, so as a result of not wanting to leave on a free transfer next year, ‘all roads therefore lead to a sale’.

The Serie A giants are believed to be demanding €50m (£44m) to sanction his sale, though his agents are ‘pushing’ to move him elsewhere for a smaller fee of between €35-40m (£30-35m).

The Verdict: Massive coup

Milinkovic-Savic has won four senior trophies throughout his career so knows what it takes to be successful, which is why it would be a big coup should Arsenal be able to secure his signature.

The Nike-sponsored star has posted 12 goal contributions (four goals and eight assists) in just 24 league outings this season, where he’s earned five man-of-the-match awards across all competitions.

Standing at 6 foot 3, he would add a different dimension to Arteta’s midfield with his height, which sees him currently ranking in the 97th percentile for most aerials won per 90 minutes by midfielders in Europe.

The Lleida native has also been played in four different positions since emerging onto the scene, including as a second striker, so would be a useful option for the boss to have in the building.

The midfielder has been the subject of high praise from his Lazio teammate and captain Ciro Immobile who said: ‘Trust me, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is magic. He’s on the same level of Kevin de Bruyne.”

We feel he is the perfect candidate to put pen to paper in the capital.