West Ham United could be offered the chance to bring Torino midfielder Sasa Lukic to the Premier League in a deal that would see London Stadium misfit Nikola Vlasic move in the other direction, according to Tuttosport.
Davide Vagnati certainly had a lot on his plate when travelling to London recently.
The Torino director boarded a flight to England not only to negotiate a permanent deal for Vlasic, following the Croatian’s outstanding form on loan in Serie A, but also to help find a buyer for contract rebel Lukic.
The rangy Serbia international, Tutto Granata say, is turning down the chance to extend his contract in Turin. Lukic’s current deal expires in 2024. As such, time is running out as Torino look to secure a sizeable profit on a player who arrived from Partizan Belgrade all the way back in 2016.
Lukic has already been stripped of the captain’s armband, although he has since been welcomed back into Ivan Juric’s dressing room following a thawing of relations behind the scenes. Nonetheless, Torino are still looking to sell. Preferably, sooner rather than later.
West Ham United could sign Sasa Lukic with Nikola Vlasic joining Torino in exchange
Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United are currently in pole position, Tutto Granata add. Lazio, Inter Milan and Roma have all expressed an interest too at one point or another.
Whether West Ham are willing to take Lukic off Torino’s hands, however, remains to be seen. Vagnati, Tuttosport say, hopes to include the powerhouse 26-year-old as part of a deal that would see Vlasic move in the other direction. Torino have a £12 million option-to-buy clause in Vlasic’s contract. Lukic, meanwhile, would cost a similar fee.
As such, Torino could kill two birds with one stone; getting Lukic off the books while retaining Vlasic’s services for the long term.
“The Torino fans are fantastic,” Vlasic said over the weekend (via CalcioNews24).
“From the first day I arrived in the city, they took me by the hand. Everyone asks me to stay for a long time. I am very happy at Torino. Let’s see what happens in the summer.”
As of yet, there is no indication that Lukic is on David Moyes’ radar. West Ham are, however, targeting a number of similar central midfielders, including Marseille’s Gerson and Eintracht Frankfurt playmaker Djibril Sow.
Lecce’s former Barcelona youngster Joan Gonzalez is another name to keep an eye on.
Lukic, a reliable penalty taker, scored five goals and set up four more in the 2021/22 Serie A season.
“I was with him in Turin,” former Granata team-mate and Brazil ace Gleison Bremer says of Lukic (Mozzart Sport). “He’s an excellent midfielder.”
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