Premier League pace-setters Arsenal are ready and raring to go as the return of club football draws nearer after France and Argentina are set for a titanic clash in the final of the 2022 World Cup this Sunday before the English top flight resumes play on Boxing Day less than two weeks from now.
Strong performances in friendly wins over both Olympique Lyonnais and AC Milan during the extended international break have Mikel Arteta’s young Gunners looking primed to continue their hot form during the first half of the 2022-23 campaign, but the need to add further quality into the senior setup remains after Gabriel Jesus suffered a serious injury that is set to keep him out for up to three months.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s Ukrainian starlet Mykhalo Mudryk is firmly in the club’s sights as the Gunners look to mull over a January move for the 21-year-old and are currently said to be 50/50 regarding discussions as of earlier reports, but fresh links with other transfer interest have emerged through reports from outlet Revelo and journalist Matteo Moretto suggesting that Arsenal have opened discussions over a possible summer push for Lazio star midfielder Sergej Milinković-Savić.
El Arsenal ha mantenido contactos recientes con el entorno de Sergej Milinković-Savić. @relevo https://t.co/xUREuZnKuR
— Matteo Moretto (@MatteMoretto) December 14, 2022
The 27-year-old Serbian international midfield talisman expectedly featured during the World Cup but did not perform well this winter, though few, if any, of Dragan Stojković’s men can hold their heads high after crashing out of the group stage, but the Spanish-born goalscoring midfielder remains vital for club side Lazio in Serie A and boasts a goal record (63 in 314) that is impressive by all measuring sticks.
With Arsenal thin in midfield and can only really boast three realistic and reliable starting central options in the vein of Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, and Mohamed Elneny, the Gunners are in need of additional depth in quality in midfield, with a summer move for SMS plausible after Lazio’s asking price is reportedly likely to drop to around €40m-€50m due to his contract expiring in the summer of 2024.
At current, Lazio president Claudio Lotito has been quoted as wanting €80m-€100m if a club wanted to prize him out of the eternal city in January; a price Arsenal is sure to avoid given the greater need further up the pitch.
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