Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic celebrates scoring their first goal
Newcastle United have submitted a bid of around €40m (£35m) for Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic via his agent, according to a report this week.
The Lowdown: Milinkovic-Savic on the move?
Milinkovic-Savic has been linked with a move away from Lazio for a long time, with Manchester United said to have prepared a bid back in the summer transfer window, while West Ham United were more recently said to be keen.
Lazio president Claudio Lotito has previously stated that the midfielder is valued at more than £100m, which could be a fair assessment, given that teammate Ciro Immobile has claimed he is ‘on the same level’ as Kevin De Bruyne.
The Latest: Bid lodged
According to a report from CalcioMercato however, the Magpies have submitted a bid of just €40m (£35m) for the Lazio ace via his agent Mateja Kezman, although they are not the only club interested.
Both Arsenal and West Ham have submitted a similar offer for the 28-year-old, who is almost certainly going to leave the Serie A club in the summer.
The Verdict: Joelinton upgrade?
Hailed as ‘world class’ by members of the media, the maestro specialises in a plethora of different areas, ranking in the 96th percentile for non-penalty goals, as well as aerials won per 90, compared to other midfielders in the past year.
Joelinton has shown real signs of improvement this season, ranked by Sofascore as Newcastle’s best-performing midfielder in the Premier League, with an average match rating of 7.07, even managing to better Bruno Guimaraes.
However, the Brazilian is not finding the back of the net regularly in the top flight, picking up just two goals this season, indicating Milinkovic-Savic could be a real upgrade with his goal-scoring ability, also allowing Joelinton to flourish on the flank, as he has done at times this term.
Not only that, but the Serbian has just turned 28, meaning he should be in his prime, and Eddie Howe needs players at that stage of their career if he is going to take Newcastle to the next level.
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