Arsenal in ‘pole position’ to seal €50m summer transfer after player ‘changes his mind’ about move

Lewis Oldham
Arsenal target Milinkovic-Savic

Arsenal are reportedly ‘considered to be in pole position’ to sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio during the summer transfer window in 2023.

The centre-midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League over the years but a transfer has never come to fruition.

But the 27-year-old is nearing his peak and he has been in great form for Serie A side Lazio this term. He has grabbed three goals and seven assists in 14 league appearances.

This form is coming at an opportune time for Milinkovic-Savic as his contract at Lazio expires in 2024.

Interested clubs have been quoted around £100m for him in the past but someone could sign him in a cut-price deal should they tempt Lazio into a sale in January or next summer.

Arsenal have been in the market for a new centre-midfielder in recent months and Italian journalist  Giulio Cardone has claimed that the English side “tried to approach” Milinkovic-Savic in the summer.

The player is seemingly pretty fickle as despite him initially being against the move, his “opinion has changed” amid Arsenal’s great form this season.

“Arsenal on Milinkovic? The news is that the player has changed his opinion on the English club which already tried to approach him last summer,” Cardone said last month.

“If a fair proposal were to arrive this time, he would consider it.

“Today the Gunners are dominating the Premier League, they will go to the Champions League, they have started a fascinating project, they have acquired a different appeal.

“Agent [Mateja] Kezman has been probing various clubs for some time to then bring offers to Lazio. By the summer he had garnered serious interest from the London club and Newcastle.

“Situations declined, but things could change next summer. It will be an important push and pull.”

Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) are now reporting that currently ‘no offers’ have been made to Lazio or Milinkovic-Savic’s agent – Mateja Kezman – for the Serbian.

But Arsenal have at least ‘had talks’ with the player’s agent and their ‘interest is confirmed’.

The report goes as far as to state that the Gunners are believed to be the side currently in ‘pole position’ to sign Milinkovic-Savic next year. 

Arsenal are described as being a ‘more convincing’ project than they were six months ago.

Kezman has reportedly informed clubs that Milinkovic-Savic will not leave Lazio on a free transfer as they are instead looking to receive €40-50m.

It is likely that Arsenal will wait until next summer to sign a new centre-midfield and in January they are focused on acquiring Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Londoners have already had one bid rejected for the winger but they are expected to return with a second offer.

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