Torino have failed to agree a new contract with Serie A and Serbia enforcer Sasa Lukic as Leeds United lead the race to bring the £13 million midfielder to the Premier League, according to Tutto Granata.
After months of sustained speculation, Torino lost star striker and club captain Andrea Belotti on a free transfer last summer; the Italy international joining Roma following the expiration of his contract.
Understandably, with all that drama proving to be something of a distraction on and off the pitch, Torino are hoping to avoid yet another long-running transfer saga.
Lukic has less than two years remaining on his deal. And, with Tutto Granata reporting that talks over an extension have hit the buffers, the likelihood is that Lukic will be sold sooner rather than later; Torino running out of time as they look to secure a sizeable profit on a player who arrived from Partizan Belgrade all the way back in 2016.
Leeds United want Torino and Serbia ace Sasa Lukic after the Qatar World Cup
Lazio, Inter Milan and Belotti’s Roma have all expressed an interest. But Leeds United, reports claim, are currently the frontrunners; Lukic’s £13 million price-tag unlikely to put off a side hoping to add some depth and experience to Jesse Marsch’s midfield.
While Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson and Marc Roca have all made a big impact since arriving at Elland Road over the summer, there remains a lack of quality options in reserve. Adam Forshaw, meanwhile, could depart after yet another injury-hit spell.
“I was with him in Turin,” former Granata team-mate Gleison Bremer said of Lukic before Serbia’s World Cup group-stage clash with Brazil recently (Mozzart Sport). “He’s an excellent midfielder.”
A hard-working, deep-lying performer, Lukic started in all three of Serbia’s fixtures over in Qatar. He is, perhaps, more of an Adams than an Aaronson; the sort of player who keeps things simple in the middle of the park, snatching back possession before handing over the baton to his more gifted team-mates.
According to Tuttosport, Torino are now preparing to sell Lukic as early as January, in the knowledge that the rangy 26-year-old has no intention of extending his current contract. Torino want one-time Leeds United target Nahitan Nandez as Lukic’s replacement.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
