Chelsea could use past interest in midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek to beat Manchester United to the signature of Lazio ace Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The Blues are in the market for midfield reinforcements this season and the Serbia international has emerged as a target.
Loftus-Cheek's future at Stamford Bridge remains uncertain, and that was only enforced during Saturday's FA Cup final. Just before the end of the first half of extra-time, Thomas Tuchel brought the midfielder on before withdrawing him just 15 minutes later for Ross Barkley ahead of the penalty shootout.
The 26-year-old has made 39 appearances for the Blues in all competitions this season but a run in the starting XI has been hard to come by. The futures of both N'Golo Kante and Jorginho remain up in the air too with both set to enter the final year of their contracts at Stamford Bridge.
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Chelsea have been linked with a number of midfield targets ahead of the summer, with Milinkovic-Savic among them having previously held an interest in the 27-year-old back in the summer of 2020. With former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri insisting that his star midfielder will not be sold to a Serie A rival, it has opened the door for a Premier League side to make their move.
"I'm not sure that Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will leave this summer as it's not easy," Sarri said via Fabrizio Romano. "But I'm convinced that if it happens, Milinkovic will sign for a foreign club and not an Italian one."
Earlier this month, it was reported that Lazio were plotting a summer move for Loftus-Cheek with Sarri eager to reunite with the Chelsea midfielder in Rome. With Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal also reportedly interested in the signature of Milinkovic-Savic, the Blues could boast a big advantage over their rivals.
With Loftus-Cheek valued at £16 million by the CIES Observatory, being able to potentially offer a swap deal to Lazio will make a Chelsea bid far more appealing.
