Chelsea will face competition in the transfer market next summer should they look to reignite their interest in Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
The Blues were heavily linked with a move for the Serbian midfielder throughout the summer transfer window, but Todd Boehly opted to pursue deals for the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Denis Zakaria ahead of the 27-year-old. Milinkovic-Savic was also tipped to be on Arsenal's radar over the summer, but the Serbia international remained with the Serie A outfit for another season.
The Lazio midfielder has already registered four goals and provided a further five assists in 11 appearances so far this season, with his current deal set to expire in 2024. As he enters the final 18 months of his contract, Chelsea could look to pursue a cheaper deal for the Serbia star next summer, with N'Golo Kante and Jorginho still yet to sign renewals at Stamford Bridge.
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According to Calciomercatoweb, Liverpool are readying a player-plus-cash bid to sign Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio at the end of the season. This could pose a potential issue should the Blues' plans to wrap up a deal for the Serbian star, with the Reds thought to be willing to include Joe Gomez to land the £61million-rated ace.
The report suggests that Gomez is valued in the region of £30million, meaning Liverpool would only have to stump up an extra £30million to land Milinkovic-Savic's signature. Chelsea may be willing to include some fringe players of their own to sweeten a deal for the Lazio star, something Todd Boehly could be interested in doing to save himself some money to invest in other deals.
Christopher Nkunku is expected to make the move to Stamford Bridge after already signing a pre-contractual agreement with the Blues, football.london understands. The arrival of new technical director Christopher Vivell could benefit the Blues' pursuit of Josk Gvardiol as well, as Chelsea could end up paying close to £100million for the RB Leipzig duo in what is set to be another busy summer transfer window.
Milinkovic-Savic is considered one of the best midfielders in the Serie A and has spent the last seven years with Lazio, clocking up a massive 302 appearances in all competitions, scoring 119 goals which is an impressive feat for a midfielder. The Serbia international's future at Lazio is in doubt, with his contract expiring in the summer of 2024.
The 27-year-old has long been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle all having been rumoured to be interested in signing him in the past. It looks as though a move to England could finally come to fruition for the Lazio star, with his contract running down and a renewal yet to be discussed with the Serie A outfit.
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