Juventus have set their sights on Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, with the Serbia international no closer to signing a new contract at his current club.
According to Tuttosport, the Bianconeri have identified the 27-year-old as their ideal candidate to bolster their midfield next season, particularly as Adrien Rabiot appears set for the exit at the Allianz Stadium.
Lazio fear losing star man
Milinkovic-Savic is being viewed as Juventus‘ dream addition and they envisage lining him up alongside Paul Pogba, but economic limitations are set to make any transfer challenging.
Lazio have no intention of losing their prized asset but are concerned at the slow pace in which negotiations to tie the midfielder to a new contract are moving.
The former Vojvodina player only has 18 months remaining on his current deal and is reported to be a considerable distance away from agreeing new terms at the Stadio Olimpico, paving the way for a potential transfer this summer.
Pellegrini exchange on the cards
Juventus are hoping to take advantage of this uncertainty by swooping for Milinkovic-Savic and may use full-back Luca Pellegrini to bring the cost of the operation down.
The former AS Roma defender is coveted by Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri, with the Aquile determined to bring in a new left-back.
Pellegrini has struggled to establish himself at Juventus since arriving in an exchange with Leonardo Spinazzola, and is currently on loan at Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt, but is reported to be unsettled in the Bundesliga and keen to return to Serie A.
With such strong interest in the defender from the Italian capital, Juventus are hoping to leverage this to persuade Lazio to part with Milinkovic-Savic and will assess the cost of a deal before pushing to secure the Serbian star.
Juventus are not the only team being linked with a move for Milinkovic-Savic in the near future as Premier League duo Arsenal and Manchester United are also being linked as they look to bolster their midfield options. The Serbian could have plenty of options to choose from, one of them still being a renewal with Lazio.
