Man Utd identify Frenkie de Jong alternative in Serie A star
Karan Tejwani
- 28 Jul 2022 16:46 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United are in complex negotiations over the transfer of Frenkie de Jong, and as a result, they may move for their second choice to avoid a transfer embarrassment.
The Red Devils have identified Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as an alternative and may make a move for him if they’re still in a stalemate over De Jong.
Erik ten Hag’s side are still hoping to get a deal for De Jong over the line, but that seems complicated by the player’s situation over his deferred wages from Barcelona.
As a result, a bid for Milinkovic-Savic for a fee of around £42 million is being considered as they hope to bring the Serbian over the Old Trafford in case De Jong doesn’t join.
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Lazio want big fee for Milinkovic-Savic
Lazio, though, are hoping to hold out for a fee of around £59 million for their star man, as they wish to drive up the price and get the maximum amount for their star man.
There could also be a big transfer cycle, as Lazio will look to use that money in order to sign Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski, who is also of interest to West Ham United.
Lazio want a big fee for the Serb in order to fund their own team and give coach Maurizio Sarri the best tools to compete – they’ve been overshadowed over the last year by Jose Mourinho’s Roma side.
Milinkovic-Savic has long been one of the most consistent midfielders in Serie A, and has been linked to a move to Manchester United many times in the past, but a move never materialized.
This Sergej Milinkovic-Savic assist 🔥🔥🔥@OfficialSSLazio #SerieA💎 pic.twitter.com/luDOSBRzmr
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) July 24, 2022
Ten Hag is adamant on De Jong, believing that the Dutchman has qualities unlike any other that could elevate his Manchester United team, but Milinkovic-Savic isn’t a bad option either and would provide something different.
The Serb has long been admired for his tenacity and desire to drive in both halves of the pitch, and has a decent goalscoring record for a midfielder to match with it.
Milinkovic-Savic has been at Lazio since 2015 and has made 294 appearances for the club, scoring 58 goals and has won three trophies – the Coppa Italia in 2019 and Supercoppa Italia in 2017 and 2019.
