In a recent report, Corriere dello Sport provided an update on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic this summer. It has been revealed that the Magpies are set to miss out on the Serbian midfield ace who will only leave his current employers if he gets a chance to join a UEFA Champions League level club this off-season.
Milinkovic-Savic’s Impressive Form At The Stadio Olimpico Last Season
Milinkovic-Savic had a fruitful campaign in Italy last season as he put in several impressive displays for Lazio at the centre of the park. The 27-year-old participated in 47 matches for the Italian outfit in the previous campaign, netting 11 goals and picking up 12 assists in various competitions.
The 33-time Serbia international has been a dominant presence at the centre of Lazio’s midfield based on his average of 1.8 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 1.1 clearances, 2.0 shots, 1.4 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per 90 minutes in Serie A. He has even been accurate when distributing possession from midfield, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 81.4% in the top tier of Italian football (stats via whoscored).
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Newcastle United Set To Miss Out On Milinkovic-Savic: Big Blow For Howe?
Milikovic-Savic has shown over the past ten months that he can be a positive influence at both ends of the field. He is a good tackler of the ball and can make some timely interceptions for his side at the centre of the park.
The Serbia international is a decent playmaker in the opposition half and can also chip in by scoring a handful of important goals in the final third. He can even complete a few lively dribbles going forward.
A midfielder of Milenkovic-Savic’s skillset would have been a terrific acquisition for the Magpies. However, the player seems to have his heart set on a move to a top European club which Newcastle are still aspiring to become in the coming seasons.
Missing out on Milenkovic-Savic will be a huge blow for the Tyneside giants as Eddie Howe would have no choice but to focus on some of his other midfield targets for this summer transfer window.
