Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to north London this summer.
What's the talk?
That's according to a report by Italian publication Il Messaggero (via Get Italian Football News), who claim that, despite the reported interest of Spurs, Manchester United, Arsenal and Juventus, SS Lazio are yet to receive an official proposal for the €60m (£51m) valued central midfielder in the summer transfer window.
As a result, in a bid to deter any potential suitors for the 27-year-old, Maurizio Sarri's side are now believed to be preparing the offer of a new contract to put in front of the Serbia international - something which, should Milinkovic-Savic put pen to paper on, would all but end Fabio Paratici's hopes of landing the playmaker in the coming days.
Paratici must move
With it being well-known that Antonio Conte is hoping to add a new forward-thinking midfielder to his current Spurs squad prior to September's fast-approaching transfer deadline, it is not difficult to see why Paratici would be keen on a deal to bring Milinkovic-Savic to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the course of the next week.
Indeed, the £63m-rated talent has consistently been one of the most deadly midfielders in Serie A over his seven complete campaigns, scoring 48 goals - hitting double figures in 2017/18 and 2021/22 - and registering 42 assists - once again hitting double figures in 2020/21 and 2021/22 - over his 233 appearances in the Italian top flight.
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As can be seen above, the £96k-per-week Serbian particularly impressed last season, with FBref ranking the 27-year-old in the top 4% of midfielders in Europe's big five leagues and European competitions for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as the top 2% for non-penalty xG, the top 3% for shots, the top 4% for assists and the top 9% for shot-creating actions over the last 365 days - proving just how effective and efficient Milinkovic-Savic is in the final third of the pitch.
The 34-cap international also impresses in possession of the ball, with FBref ranking the player who David Amoyal dubbed "unreal" in the top 11% of midfielders for passes attempted per 90, in addition to the top 14% for dribbles completed, the top 2% for touches in the opposition penalty area, the top 3% for progressive passes received, the top 29% for progressive passes and the top 30% for progressive carries over the past 12 months - demonstrating his ability to both progress the ball and play a killer pass.
Considering these quite remarkable metrics, it will perhaps come as no surprise that FBref list two of Milinkovic-Savic's most comparable players as Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude Bellingham and Manchester City and Belgium playmaker Kevin De Bruyne.
As such, with there being absolutely no question concerning the 27-year-old's status as one of the best attacking midfielders currently playing the game, it would appear highly advisable for Paratici to do everything in his power to seal a deal for Milinkovic-Savic in the coming days, as the Serbian sensation would undoubtedly be an "insane" - in the words of Hesham Bilal-Hafiz - signing for Tottenham ahead of the bulk of their 2022/23 campaign.