Manchester United have revived their long-term interest in signing Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, according to The Telegraph.
The Red Devils have been interested in landing Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona throughout the summer, but the midfielder appears keen on staying with the Catalan giants.
Hence, they are now looking into alternative options in the transfer market. A deal has been agreed with Juventus for Adrien Rabiot but personal terms are yet to be finalised.
It is likely that the transfer will go through, but the club appear to be eyeing two additions for the cost of 1. Rabiot is set to be signed for an initial fee in the region of £15m.
On the other hand, Milinkovic-Savic could be prised away from Lazio for £50m. Negotiations are still at a very early stage, but United have identified the Serbian as an option.
Milinkovic-Savic would provide much-needed creativity
The Red Devils have an agreement worth £72m in place with Barcelona for De Jong, but the midfielder has no plans of leaving Barcelona at the current point of time.
If he decides to part ways in the coming weeks, United face another stumbling block in form of Chelsea. They can offer Champions League football which is De Jong’s priority.
On top of this, the west London outfit are willing to pay his deferred wages if they formalise their interest.
Hence, United are better off looking into alternatives. Rabiot is not a signing that we would prefer, and the club should consider Guido Rodriguez, who is more composed.
However, Milinkovic-Savic would be a superb acquisition in the squad. He is not the best of distributors, but tends to make up for it with his strong tackling and intercepting skills.
His work rate is questionable, but he would provide assured goals and assists. He can be considered as an upgrade on Paul Pogba, who recently left for Juventus on a free transfer.
Milinkovic-Savic bagged an impressive 11 goals and 12 assists from 47 games last term. He would be well suited for English football as he also possesses a strong physical and aerial presence.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
