4 reasons why Juventus must sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic this summer
Juventus want to make a big splash to rejuvenate their midfield for the third summer in a row.
In 2020, the club were part of an odd player exchange that saw them sign Arthur Melo at Miralem Pjanic’s expense. Then, a year later, Manuel Locatelli was drafted in from Sassuolo to be Juve’s marquee signing ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.
While Arthur has, for the most part, flattered to deceive, Locatelli has impressed without ever being outstanding. There’s more to come from the Italian international, that’s for sure, and Massimiliano Allegri will be hoping that Denis Zakaria, whom the club essentially swapped for Rodrigo Bentancur in January, blossoms into something quite special alongside Locatelli.
Overall, there’s no doubting that Juve’s midfield has shown signs of improvement this season following a disastrous performance under Andrea Pirlo. However, the Bianconeri are still some way from re-establishing themselves among the continent’s elite.
As a result, further midfield upgrades are imperative.
4 reasons why Juventus must sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic this summer
The club have already been linked with a whole host of names, including Paul Pogba, Renato Sanches and Frenkie De Jong, but it’s Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic who’s been littered across the recent Italian transfer rumour mills. Juve, who have attempted to sign the midfielder in the past, are said to be infatuated with the Serb and are desperate to bring him to Turin this summer.
He won’t be cheap, but signing Milinkovic-Savic is a move Juventus have to make. Here are four reasons why.
Serie A star
Juventus are in rebuild mode and while the club could get away with signing midfielders that may need time to adapt to calcio, such as Sanches or De Jong, the benefit of adding a ready-made option who’s starred in Serie A for over half a decade can’t be overlooked.
Since joining Lazio from Genk as an unknown 20-year-old in 2015, Milinkovic-Savic has gone on to make 287 appearances for the Biancocolesti, including 224 in Serie A.
The Serb knows Italy like the back of his hand. The tempo, rhythm and tactical side of calcio are all second nature to him. While he might take time to settle into a new environment, with different teammates and a wily old manager, the overriding risk of a culture clash doesn’t exist.
That makes this move for Juventus, despite the heavy expenditure, a little safer than alternative deals.
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