'Best midfielder in the world' fancies Arsenal move, fans should be buzzing

Arsenal have come such a long way in the past nine months or so.

Last season, the Gunners still seemed very much in transition, and failed to reach the Champions League.

Now, Arsenal are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

The Gunners’ stock is very much at their highest level since the Arsene Wenger squads of the mid-2000s.

As good as it is to see Arsenal challenging for the title, you can’t underestimate the positive knock-on effects too.

Namely, the likelihood of the world’s best players wanting to join – or at least being open to joining – the Gunners.

An exciting report from Corriere dello Sport (print edition, 30/3/23, page 18) shows just how this is playing out.

The Italian outlet – via Sport Witness – discussed the future of Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

The 28-year-old’s contract at the Serie A club expires in the summer of 2024.

Statement signing

Milinkovic-Savic is a midfielder of the highest quality, and he’d take Arsenal to the next level.

Indeed, Lazio president Claudio Lotito believes he’s very much the number one midfielder on the planet.

In November, he told Il Messaggero, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano: “Guess how much he’s worth.

“He scored a goal at the World Cup with his ankle injured, and he’s the best midfielder in the world.”

Lotito’s valuation a month earlier was an eye-watering £105million (€120million).

Now, he reportedly fears that Arsenal may not go above £6.3million (€30million) for him.

At 28, Milinkovic-Savic is very much in the prime of his career.

This summer would be a great time for the Gunners to sign him.

Obviously Arsenal will likely have a lot of competition, given how good he is.

Nonetheless, they’ll surely fancy their chances of signing him, particularly if they do win the Premier League.

A statement signing like Milinkovic-Savic would really show the football world that Arsenal are well and truly back in the big time.