Juventus are set to make a big splash to rejuvenate their midfield once again this summer, and the club, for the 89th transfer window on the spin, have been linked with a move for Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
The Bianconeri have lined up several targets already, including possible free agent Paul Pogba, but a move for the Serbian international appears to be the priority.
Juve are understood to have opened talks with the player’s agent, Mateja Kezma, over a possible summer move for his client, and the club are well aware that Lazio will be demanding a pretty penny for the midfielder’s services.
As a result, speculation has emerged that Juve could get creative in negotiations for Milinkovic-Savic, and the possibility of this deal including a Juventus player moving in the opposite direction to lower the fee must be considered.
3 Juventus players that could be used in Sergej Milinkovic-Savic swap deal
So, here are three players the Bianconeri could use in a part-exchange deal with Lazio to bring Milinkovic-Savic to Turin.
Arthur Melo
We may have seen the last of Arthur Melo in a Juventus shirt. The Brazilian picked up an ankle injury last week that seems to be more serious than it was initially believed to be. Max Allegri wasn’t optimistic over his chances of returning anytime soon, labelling the midfielder “dead” before Wednesday’s clash against Fiorentina.
Juve are expected to move on from the disappointing 2021 arrival this summer, and they could look to include him in a deal for Milinkovic-Savic. Lazio were linked with a move for Arthur in January with Maurizio Sarri in need of a metronomic midfielder to sit at the base of his 4-3-3. Lucas Leiva is constantly overrun, while Danilo Cataldi has failed to usurp the veteran Brazilian.
And while Arthur has struggled in Turin, his value is still relatively high so you suspect that Juve would be able to cut off around €25m of Milinkovic-Savic’s overall fee by including him in the deal.
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