Juventus identify Lazio midfielder as Paul Pogba alternative
According to Calciomercato, Juventus will prioritize a move for Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic if they fail in securing a deal for Paul Pogba.
The Turin giants Juventus have long been linked with a move for their former midfield engine Paul Pogba, who seems to be unhappy at Old Trafford.
Pogba completed a high-profile switch from Juventus to Manchester United in 2016 for a then world-record fee of £89 million. While the Frenchman has been the best midfielder at the club for most of the past 4 years, injuries and inconsistency meant that he never fully settled.
The World Cup winner has come under heavy criticism for his poor attitude, driving intense speculation about a possible move to Real Madrid or a return to Italy.
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United have been stubborn in their refusal to sell him though. Their recent revival under Ole Gunnar Solskjær, with the help of winter signing Bruno Fernandes, could yet convince the 27-year-old to stay on.
In any case, it appears that Pogba would favour a move to Madrid over Juventus.
Juve has shortlisted a few midfield targets in the event that they miss out this summer, although it is understood that Pogba remains their preferred option.
Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is on top of their list of alternatives, according to Calciomercato. The 25-year-old Serbian has been immense for Lazio and was even targeted by Manchester United a few years back.
This season, he’s been one of Serie A’s best midfielders, helping Simone Inzaghi‘s Lazio launch a surprise bid for the league title until the coronavirus outbreak brought a halt to football in Europe.
Other midfielders in consideration for Juve are Brescia wonder-kid Sandro Tonali and Fiorentina’s Gaetano Castrovilli. Both of them are young, talented Italian midfielders, hinting at a potential midfield rebuild for Juventus.
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The Old Lady has already signed 19-year-old Dejan Kulusevski from Parma in January, and it looks like at least one more midfielder will follow soon.