Maurizio Sarri hands Erik ten Hag transfer boost to replace Paul Pogba

Erik ten Hag’s transfer plans in his first summer as Manchester United manager have already received a huge boost before he’s even arrived at Old Trafford

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Manchester United have reportedly already found the ideal replacement for the outgoing Paul Pogba in Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Pogba is all but confirmed as a player heading towards the Old Trafford exit in the summer as his contract will expire with no talk of a renewal, meaning there is a stark vacancy in central midfield for the will give new boss Erik ten Hag.

United are indeed preparing for something of an exodus in midfield as Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata are set to leave the club in the coming weeks. Factor in the question marks that continue to linger over the quality of Scott McTominay and Fred and it becomes even clearer that another midfield addition is badly needed.

Enter Milinkovic-Savic – the 27-year-old who has clearly impressed the United hierarchy with his form for Lazio this season under the helm of former Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri. The Serbia international is under contract with the Italian club until 2024 but may be allowed to leave to raise funds.

United can take heart from Sarri’s latest update on the player as the Italian admitted Milinkovic-Savic could leave Lazio in the summer. “Speaking to the President, I’m convinced that if he leaves, he won’t stay in Italy and it’s not easy,” the Biancocelesti coach told reporters.

Milinkovic-Savic has been highly rated by United for some time and the Red Devils evaluated the possibility of signing him in January 2020 before eventually settling on Bruno Fernandes, who offers a greater scoring threat than the Lazio man.

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Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be keeping an eye on the Serbian star’s situation, but he is expected to favor a move to the Premier League rather than Ligue 1. Uncertainty surrounding Mauricio Pochettino’s future doesn’t help the Parisian pursue Milinkovic-Savic.

Sarri’s comments quash any speculation linking United’s transfer target with a move to Juventus. One player who could go to Turin is Pogba himself, who is said to be heavily considering a return to Juventus six years after leaving the Italian giants.

The France midfielder had plenty of offers from potential suitors who were interested, including a chance to complete a highly controversial move to United’s local rivals and “loud neighbors” Manchester City. Real Madrid seems an unlikely target, although Pogba previously admitted playing for Los Blancos would be a dream come true.