Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic this summer by his agent and former Blues player Mateja Kezman.
CaughtOffside understands that Milinkovic-Savic is available for €40million this summer as he heads into the final year of his contract with Lazio, with his agent seeking a solution for his future this summer.
Chelsea like Milinkovic-Savic and are ready to consider him as one potential option to strengthen their midfield, though sources have also suggested to CaughtOffside that a different profile of midfield player such as Moises Caicedo or Romeo Lavia would be more of a priority for the west London giants.
Milinkovic-Savic has also been offered to other Premier League clubs in recent weeks, but Kezman has sounded out his old club Chelsea in the hope of helping them address their midfield issues.
Mason Mount is closing in on a move to Manchester United, while Mateo Kovacic has also just left for Manchester City, so there’s surely room in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for a player like Milinkovic-Savic.
The Serbia international has had a hugely impressive career in Serie A and has long been linked with big clubs in the Premier League, even if a deal has so far never materialised.
Juventus could be another option for Milinkovic-Savic, CaughtOffside understands, but it seems the 28-year-old would also be open to a new challenge in English football.
One issue on Juventus’ side is also that they have asked Lazio to lower their €40m asking price, so it perhaps makes sense for Kezman to see if there’s any possibility of finding other buyers who might be willing to go higher.
Chelsea have been big spenders since Todd Boehly took over the club, but they have tended to target younger players on long-term deals, so it remains to be seen if Milinkovic-Savic would fit into that philosophy, or if they could perhaps make an exception for him.