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What’s the rumour?
As per reports from The Sun, Manchester United have agreed an £80 million fee with Lazio for the transfer of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The 23-year-old has been linked with a move awar for a long time and now, as per the report, United have finally made a breakthrough.
In case you didn't know...
Signed from Genk in 2015, Savic has made a name for himself as his impressive performances this season have caught the eye of many teams. Lazio find themselves fourth in the league table at the moment and Savic has been a central figure in their setup.
In 45 appearances for the club, he has scored 13 goals and pitched in with 9 assists. Savic is technically gifted, has a wide range of passing and the attributes to play a holding role as well.
He was also rewarded with a call-up to the Serbian national team earlier this season. His current contract with Lazio runs out only in 2022.
The heart of the matter
Mourinho has tinkered with his midfield set-up this season. Although he likes to field a trademark 4-2-3-1, he often had to modify it to a 4-3-3 to get the best out of Paul Pogba. It is widely believed that he will deploy the 4-3-3 formation next season as well.
With Michael Carrick retiring and the future of Marouane Fellaini still up in the air, Mourinho will definitely need reinforcements this summer. Savic has constantly been linked with United throughout the season and if the latest rumours are to be believed, they have agreed a fee with Lazio.
Rumour rating/probability - 6/10
The Sun is not the most credible of sources and we are still waiting for more reliable outlets to report the news.
Video: Savic in action this season
Author’s take
Savic seems to be a real quality player and looks set to have a bright future in front of him. He will undoubtedly strengthen United's midfield but £80 million is perhaps a bit too much. Lazio may be hoping to price them out of a possible deal, but United certainly have the financial muscle to make this happen.
