Chelsea Football Club is said to have set its sights on Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, as newly appointed manager Mauricio Pochettino gears up for his inaugural season at Stamford Bridge.
The arrival of Pochettino comes after a dismal campaign for the Blues, who experienced their lowest Premier League finish since 1994, ending the season in 12th place following a disjointed year in West London.
However, the tides are turning for the club. Pochettino’s appointment and the apparent strong clearout of underperforming players have sparked rumors of another lavish spending spree by Todd Boehly this summer.
According to a report from Italian news outlet Il Tempo, which was relayed by Sport Witness, Milinkovic-Savic has emerged as the latest potential target to bolster Chelsea’s midfield.
With the sales made this summer, Pochettino is reportedly in need of a midfielder, and the club has reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the services of the Serbian gem.
Lazio president Claudio Lotito has made it clear that the club will not consider offers below €30m (£26m) for the 28-year-old, as they risk losing him on a free transfer when his contract expires next summer.
The question arises: How would Sergej Milinkovic-Savic fit into the Chelsea squad?
Journalist Liam Canning describes Milinkovic-Savic as a “top talent” and believes that the 28-year-old could be a valuable asset for Pochettino to integrate into his midfield.
Primarily deployed as a central midfielder, the Serbian has been instrumental both in the final third and in acting as a sweeper in the engine room for Lazio.
In 36 Serie A appearances last season, Milinkovic-Savic contributed to 17 goals, scoring nine himself and providing eight assists—an impressive feat for a dominating midfielder, as per FBref.
For Chelsea, his skills could make him the ideal candidate to partner record-signing Enzo Fernandez, potentially unlocking Fernandez’s full potential by having the experienced 28-year-old alongside him.
The Argentine gem ranked in the top 1% of Premier League players in terms of his frequency of delivering progressive passes relative to his playing time, averaging an impressive 9.77 per 90 minutes, according to FBref.
Pochettino may discover a dynamic midfield partnership by pairing Fernandez with Milinkovic-Savic. Both players possess similar yet complementary strengths that could make them the perfect duo.
While Fernandez showcases innate passing ability, evident in his 88.1% pass accuracy rate per 90 minutes, Milinkovic-Savic could offer defensive cover to support his potential counterpart, benefiting both ends of the pitch for Chelsea.
According to FBref, the Lazio gem averaged a remarkable 2.86 aerial wins per 90 minutes in Serie A, in contrast to Fernandez’s 0.41 per 90 minutes in the Premier League.
Standing at 6 foot 3 inches, Milinkovic-Savic averaged 7.4 total duel wins per game in the league, along with 0.7 possession wins and 1.6 tackles, as recorded by Sofascore.
While the Serbian slightly surpasses Fernandez in defensive prowess, the Spanish-born maestro exhibits impressive playmaking ability. He created 14 significant chances in Serie A last season, in addition to his commendable goal contributions.
In hiring Milinkovic-Savic as his partner, Pochettino could do a favor for the £106.8m midfielder, potentially forging a dominant partnership in the Premier League.
