Sergej Milinkovic-Savic more open to joining Arsenal

Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has opened the door to joining Arsenal following their tremendous progress in the Premier League this season, Corriere dello Sport claim.

The Gunners were linked with the Serbian star in the summer, but a deal was never on the cards as the player was not convinced to join the club without Champions League football.

However, his stance has changed during the current campaign and Corriere dello Sport claim that the Gunners are a ‘more tempting’ option for the 27-year-old ahead of the New Year.

Despite this, a transfer appears unlikely to happen. Lazio president Claudio Lolito has no plans of accepting Albert Sambi Lokonga as a makeweight in a deal worth €60 million.

Lolito continues to hold out for €100m for Milinkovic-Savic despite his contract expiring in June 2024.

Arsenal unlikely to sign Milinkovic-Savic

The Gunners are on the search for a new midfielder in January and Milinkovic-Savic would be a quality acquisition with his impressive all-round attributes.

Milinkovic-Savic has registered five goals and seven assists from 20 appearances this season. Defensively, he has averaged nearly two tackles and one interception per game.

His box-to-box ability has made him one of the best midfielders in Serie A. Despite this, we don’t see the Gunners pursuing his services due to the hefty asking price.

Even if the valuation is lowered, it does not make sense to spend big on a player, who could be a regular on the bench with the current form of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka.

Meanwhile, Arsenal’s main need is a defensive midfielder rather than a creative one. Palmeiras’ Danilo, who is available for £21m, would be a better fit for the position.

The Brazilian has better distribution skills than Milinkovic-Savic (pass accuracy of 84% compared to 75%).

Stats from Transfermarkt.com and WhoScored.com