Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte and sporting director Fabio Paratici are reportedly ‘crazy’ about ‘serious’ Manchester United target Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and are expected to rival the Red Devils for the signature of the Lazio midfielder this summer.
It has the potential to become a huge transfer battle between the two Premier League clubs in the next transfer window, with both sides looking to drastically improve their squads following up and down seasons in the race for the top four.
And according to Italian outlet Calciomercato, via lalaziosiamonoi, Spurs duo Conte and Paratici are big fans of the 27-year-old, which could mean that a move to north London may be on the cards this summer.
As per the report, Tottenham will have to achieve a top four finish this season so that they can provide the guarantee of UEFA Champions League football next season, if they are to have any chance of securing the services of Milinkovic-Savic at the end of the current campaign.
The Serbian midfielder has plenty of potential suitors, with the likes of Man Utd, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus to rival Spurs for his signature, so they don’t need the prospect of no Champions League football to further hamper their chances of completing a deal.
Milinkovic-Savic enters the final two years of his contract this summer, which makes him more affordable to top clubs around Europe. Lazio want around £65m for the player, but if Conte and Paratici want him that badly, they could be persuaded.
Would Tottenham meet Lazio's £65m evaluation of Milinkovic-Savic? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
The Lazio midfielder has become one of the more impressive players in his position in Serie A this season, following nine goals and nine assists in 31 league appearances so far, as the Italians sit sixth in the table and are the second highest scorers in the division.
Since securing a move from Belgian side Genk in 2015, the Serbian international has made 288 appearances for the Rome-based club and scored 56 goals during that time, while he also starred for his nation at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and helped them to qualify for the upcoming tournament in Qatar.
Primarily a central midfielder, the 27-year-old can also play in more defensive and attacking roles, and has already proven he has an eye for goal from his statistics. Lazio fans have nicknamed him ‘il Sergente’ (the Sergeant) for his charisma and physical dominance - standing at 6ft 3in.
Should Spurs manage to sign him, he would be a fantastic addition to Conte’s side and would dramatically bolster their options in midfield, which is an area that the Italian has been keen to strengthen since taking charge of the club.
Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele and Dele Alli were all shipped out in the January transfer window, while Juventus ace Rodrigo Bentancur was brought in to improve that area of the pitch, and now Conte would like to add Milinkovic-Savic to his options.
Despite the additions of Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski at the start of the year, Conte still wasn’t able to bring in as many players as he had hoped, and that can only mean Spurs will likely spend big this summer.
