Italian head coach Max Allegri has underlined his desire to sign Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic once he takes over the reigns from Arsenal Wenger at Arsenal.
The 49-year-old is reported to have verbally agreed on a switch to the Emirates just hours after the Gunners’ dismal 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.
Wenger’s team currently find themselves two points adrift of third-placed Liverpool, but they do have a game in hand against Southampton due to be played in the dying stages of the campaign.
The Express claims that Allegri has expressed his desire to replace Wenger at the helm next season, though the final decision could be left to the latter, who has a two-year contract offer on the table.
It is added that the Italian head coach has already earmarked his transfer targets for the summer with a certain Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic leading the shortlist.
The Serbia Under-21 international has been one of the stand-out performers for the Capital outfit this campaign, and his showing appears to have also caught the eye of Chelsea boss Antonio Conte.
Milinkovic-Savic, who joined Lazio from Belgian club Genk in 2015, has been deployed in the central midfield role where he has notched four goals and three assists in the Serie A this term.
With Santi Cazorla struggling to overcome his long-term Achilles problem, Allegri appears to have identified the need for a new midfielder, who could dictate the pace of the game at will.
Cazorla’s current deal is due to expire in the summer, and the club will have a huge decision to make on whether to renew his contract given he has been ineffective in their progress over the past 24 months.
Meanwhile, Milinkovic-Savic, whose contracted to Lazio until 2020, is said to have snubbed an extension as he looks to seal a big-money move to an elite European club this summer.
