According to a report from French news outlet le10sport, Man City are tipped as one of the clubs who could make a better offer than Paris-Saint Germain for Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – with arch rivals Man United also in the race for his signature.
As club legend David Silva looks set to make way to the Italian capital, swapping one Sky Blue shirt for another, Milinkovic-Savic could move the other way if City lodge the club’s desired €80 million (£72 million) asking price.
Should City sign Milinkovic-Savic?
Yes, tall powerhouse who is a threat going forward
No, not for £72 million
Le10sport explain that PSG have declared their interest time and time again for the 6ft 3 powerhouse, tabling a €60 million (£54 million) offer which did not convince Lazio to sell one of their most prized assets.
As a result, confidence to get a deal done between the two clubs is fading, with City, United, Juventus and Real Madrid all apparently able to offer a more substantial transfer fee.
Opportunity for City?
The Ligue 1 champions, who were previously front runners for Milinkovic-Savic, will not be able to go beyond their £54m offer due to not having ‘great resources’ this summer without at least selling players to balance the books.
Now, Milinkovic-Savic is allegedly considering the possibility of staying at the Stadio Olimpico even though he is keen on a move to PSG – but City may have a chance to sign the midfielder if they can match Lazio’s £72m valuation.
This would mean breaking our transfer record, a number which still stands as the £62.8m paid to sign Rodrigo in the summer of 2019.
Should we go for the Serb?
According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old averages 2.4 shots per 90 whilst winning 3.5 aerial duels over those minutes – potentially hinting at an injection of much-needed height in the squad and another attacking outlet in midfield.
Mateja Kezman, the player’s agent, made no secret of his ability to the press two years ago – telling Mozzart Sport via Goal that he is ‘better than Pogba’ and could challenge for the Ballon d’Or in future.
“I do really respect Pogba, let’s be clear, and other linkers who can run and work for the team, but I think now Sergej has different and better quality than Pogba,” explained Milinkovic-Savic’s agent.
“He has remarkable attributes and you’ll not find another player in the world with that power, muscular structure and height combined with technique and tactical awareness. He has the touch of a Brazilian and some of the things he does remind me of Zinedine Zidane.
“He could soon be a candidate for the Ballon d’Or.”
The final verdict…
While central midfield is the one area where City seem stacked, with centre-back, left-back and an alternative centre-forward looking like more of a priority, Milinkovic-Savic could be an outside dark horse for a sensational City move.