Manchester United may have to turn to Sergej Milinkovic-Savic if their lengthy chase of Frenkie de Jong winds up unfruitful.
United have been chasing De Jong for 13 weeks now after Erik ten Hag identified him early on in the summer as the key man to take his midfield up a level. Despite the several obstacles in the way of the deal, the club has backed their manager and made the Dutchman their top target. A fee was agreed with Barcelona last month but the deal has now hit an impasse due to deferred wages owed to De Jong.
With time in the transfer window running out and the need for midfield reinforcements made evident in the opening weekend defeat to Brighton, United have had to cast their net wider. A deal has been struck with Juventus for the transfer of Adrien Rabiot. Though the move for the Frenchman doesn't end the pursuit of De Jong, other backup targets are kept 'warm' in the event he can't be signed.
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One such target is Lazio talisman Milinkovic-Savic, with MEN Sport understanding that United are considering a €68million (£57.5m) bid for the all-action Serbian. The 27-year-old has two years remaining on his contract and the Romans are looking for a buyer. United have shown interest in Milinkovic-Savic in the past but deemed him too expensive in 2018 when he was valued at €100m.
Milinkovic-Savic has been a mainstay in the Lazio midfield for the last seven years and has consistently been one of Serie A's top midfielders. He has made 294 appearances for the Italian club, with 58 goals and 51 assists to his name.
Though Milinkovic-Savic clearly isn't the midfielder that Ten Hag would ideally like in his side, he would certainly add some much-needed quality in possession and technical proficiency to the middle of the park. Ten Hag sees De Jong playing in the holding midfield role at Old Trafford, dictating the games from deep, but that isn't really Milinkovic-Savic's strong suit.
Though not the best tackler, his physicality, aggression and aerial dominance do make him a strong presence in midfield but he likes to get up and down the pitch and explore advanced areas, with 23 goal contributions to his name last season.
As a result, if he did arrive at United it seems like Ten Hag would deploy him in as the roaming midfielder in a double pivot, one who is allowed to get forward, join the attackers and make decisive actions in the attacking third. Instead, Fred could be used as the dedicated holding midfielder or perhaps it's a role that will be earmarked for Rabiot should that transfer be completed.
Though it may not be what Ten Hag initially had in mind, the arrival of Milinkovic-Savic could certainly transform United's midfield and hopefully their fortunes on the pitch.
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