Arsenal and Newcastle plot 'emergency transfer' for long-time Man Utd target

Suraj Radia

• 11 Feb 2023 17:58 GMT
• 2 min read

Manchester United could be beaten to one of their long-term targets by their Premier League rivals, with Arsenal and Newcastle reportedly considering an ‘emergency’ transfer for Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Milinkovic-Savic is into the final 18 months of his contract and Italian paper Corriere Della Sierra claim that, while Lazio are ‘confident’ they will agree terms over a new deal the player could be sold in the summer to avoid leaving for free in 2024.

There are reportedly some issues over the 27-year-old’s new deal, with a release clause in particular thought to be a sticking point, prompting the consideration of cashing in on their star player.

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Milinkovic-Savic has often been linked with a Premier League move but Lazio have never lowered their asking price, understood to be in excess of €60 million.

However, with his contract winding down, the Serbian’s price is expected to drop, allowing Newcastle and Arsenal the chance of a cut-price deal, with Man Utd likely to focus their resources elsewhere.

Is Milinkovic-Savic Magpie bound?

Both Newcastle and Arsenal are believed to have identified a midfielder as their priority position but Man Utd are likely to push for a striker in the summer.

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Harry Kane of Tottenham are United’s top targets and both would command fees in excess of £100m, making further big money moves less likely.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are also considering West Ham midfielder Declan Rice as a target as well as Felipe Caicedo of Brighton, meaning Newcastle could be considered the favourites for Milinkovic-Savic.

The Magpies are lacking depth in midfield and want an alternative to Bruno Guimaraes who can provide a wide passing range, something which Milinkovic-Savic could easily provide, having grabbed 28 assists since the start of the 2020/21 season.

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While he has scored just four times this season, Milinkovic-Savic also offers a goalscoring threat, netting 11 times last year and the Serbian can also sit as a holding midfielder or play behind the striker.