Manchester United ‘given chance to sign’ Paul Pogba replacement

Manchester United will be handed the first opportunity to land Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, according to reports.

United’s interest in the playmaker has been widely reported and the club are supposedly preparing to offer £60m. Lazio are said to want more for their midfielder but the Old Trafford hierarchy are confident that the figure will be enough to see a deal done, especially if the Serbia international indicates he wants to move.

Milinkovic-Savic’s agent, Mateja Kezman, is due to talk to his client about the offers on the table by the end of May. Paris Saint-Germain are also in the running and are also willing to part with £60m in exchange for his services.

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But a report from Corriere dello Sport claims that United will get the first chance to sign Milinkovic-Savic. This, it says, is likely to take place before the end of next month.

United are on the hunt for midfielders this summer with a number of central players leaving at the end of the campaign when their contracts are up. Among those is Paul Pogba, who has been linked with a move to Juventus and PSG.

Meanwhile, United target Hugo Ekitike has reportedly been told he can leave Stade Reims this summer. The 19-year-old striker has scored 10 goals in 24 games this season and has more than two years still left on his deal.

But the French club’s president, Jean-Pierre Caillot, has told Europe 1 that he can leave at the end of the season for the right price. Interested parties, which include Liverpool and Chelsea, will have to fork out more than £29m for the youngster.

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