West Ham are reportedly interested in Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and the Serbia international could be a big upgrade on Tomas Soucek in David Moyes’ squad.
According to The Sun earlier this month, the 27-year-old maestro is on the Hammers’ radar as they target replacements for Declan Rice this summer, with the club captain looking almost certain to leave in his pursuit of Champions League football.
The midfielder will enter the final year of his contract at the Stadio Olimpico this summer, which could open the door to a move to West Ham, who have sent scouts to watch the midfielder play recently.
Transfermarkt values the midfielder at €60m (£53m) but if West Ham were to receive an eye-watering fee for Rice this summer, then Milinkovic-Savic certainly wouldn’t be out of their price range as they search for a quality replacement.
Would Milinkovic-Savic be better than Soucek?
While the Serbia international might arrive as a partner for Soucek rather than his replacement, the stats suggest that he would be a significantly better option for Moyes in the middle of the park.
This season has seen the Lazio star contribute an impressive four goals and eight assists in 21 Serie A appearances, with WhoScored awarding him a superb 7.33 average rating.
Soucek, meanwhile, has managed a measly one goal and one assist in 24 Premier League appearances, earning a far less impressive 6.81 rating from WhoScored.
The Hammers will no doubt need a more defensive-minded midfielder to come in as Rice’s direct replacement, as Milinkovic-Savic is far more attack-focused.
His 1.4 key passes, 1.6 shots and 0.9 dribbles per game in Serie A this season is significantly more than Soucek’s 0.5 key passes, 0.9 shots and 0.1 dribbles per game in the Premier League, which emphasises that he would be a far better all-rounder.
The Lazio star would certainly arrive at the London Stadium with a big reputation, as teammate Ciro Immobile sang his praises late last year, saying:
“Trust me, Sergej Milinković-Savić is magic. He’s on the same level as Kevin De Bruyne.”
Given the Belgian’s importance to Manchester City’s various title-winning sides over the past few seasons, with over 200 goal contributions to his name, this is no small comparison to make, and the Hammers would surely appreciate a player of that quality in their midfield.
Therefore, with the incoming Rice money needing to be invested wisely, Milinkovic-Savic could be a superb coup for the Hammers.