Arsenal have been linked with Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic ahead of the upcoming season as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his midfield options.
It's no secret that Arsenal are looking to add extra quality and depth to their midfield ahead of the upcoming season, with Arteta's side set to take part in four competitions including the UEFA Europa League. Fabio Viera has already arrived in north London, and Milinkovic-Savic is the latest midfielder linked, following rumours around Leicester City's Youri Tielemans.
According to reports in Italy, the Gunners have cooled their interest in Tielemans, with Arteta now exploring the possibility of signing Milinkovic-Savic. The Serbian has proven himself as one of the best midfielders in Italy over the last few years, but according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano via Que Golazo, Lazio value the Serbian at around €75-80million.
READ MORE: Youri Tielemans' latest transfer stance as Arsenal and Manchester United links gather pace
So, if the Lazio midfielder was to make the switch to Arsenal in the summer, what sort of impact could he have on Arteta's side? Could he help the club qualify for the Champions League?
We simulated the 2022/23 season with Milinkovic-Savic in the Arsenal squad and this is what happened.
We 'signed' Sergej Milinkovic-Savic for Arsenal next season
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for the Serbian international to join Arteta's side at the start of the summer transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation. Along with Milinkovic-Savic, new signings Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Viera and Marquinhos were also in the squad.
Milinkovic-Savic slotted straight into Arteta's midfield and quickly established himself as one of the best players in the Premier League. Over the course of the season, the 27-year-old made 48 appearances, grabbing an impressive 14 goals and seven assists.
Milinkovic-Savic started 37 out of Arsenal's 38 Premier League games during the season, scoring 10 goals and registering four assists in that time whilst averaging a rating of 7.48 per game. His best competition rating-wise was the FA Cup (8.19), with his average rating per game in all competitions an incredible 7.51. Compared to the rest of the Gunners squad, the 27-year-old was the standout player in the Arteta's side, with Milinkovic-Savic topping the leaderboards in multiple stats.
His average rating of 7.51 per game was much higher than the second best, Gabriel Jesus, with the Brazilian ending the campaign as the Gunners' top scorer. Milinkovic-Savic made the most appearances, scored the second-most goals and also won the Player of the Match award the most (9).
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Arsenal XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what Gunners' best XI looked like at the end of the 2022/23 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022:
Full Arsenal best XI: (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Milinkovic-Savic, Partey; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Jesus.
Milinkovic-Savic made the best XI alongside Thomas Partey in the double-pivot in midfield, with new signing Gabriel Jesus leading the line. Viera, Marquinhos, Emile Smith-Rowe and William Saliba all played throughout the season though missed out on the best XI.
So, how did Arsenal perform in the league and cup competitions after signing Milinkovic-Savic in the summer transfer window? Let's take a look.
Arsenal's results from the 2022-23 simulation:
Arsenal showed a big improvement compared to the previous season in this simulation, with the Gunners earning eight more points than the last campaign as they finished fourth in the table. Overtaking their north London rivals Tottenham, Arteta's side clinched a Champions League spot and finished just 10 points behind league winners Man City.
A big difference from last season was the Gunners' ability to secure wins in winnable games, losing just eight games over the course of the season - five less than the previous campaign. As well as finishing fourth, Arsenal were able to win a trophy, with their improved squad depth playing a major part. Milinkovic-Savic barely took part in Arsenal's Carabao Cup campaign, only featuring once. That game in the final when they faced Leicester City, and a Jesus goal was all that separated the sides as the Gunners beat the Foxes 1-0 to lift the trophy.
In the Europa League, Arsenal topped their group with six wins from six, but failed to make it past the last 16. A 4-2 aggregate defeat to Benfica saw the Portuguese side progress to the next round. The fifth round was also the end of the road for Arsenal in the FA Cup, with former Gunner Calum Chambers scoring the winner in extra time to hand Aston Villa the 3-2 victory.
Overall, this Football Manager simulation predicts that if Arsenal were to sign Milinkovic-Savic ahead of the 2022/23 season, the Serbian could establish himself as one of the best players in the Premier League and prove a vitally important player for Arteta's side. Not only was his individual impact great, but the midfielder could help push Arsenal back into the top four whilst winning silverware in a domestic competition.
Would you like to see Sergej Milinkovic-Savic sign for Arsenal this summer? Let us know in the comments!
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