Liverpool Keeping Close Eyes On These Serie A Star: Why They Must Consider Summer Swoop | OneFootball

If a report from the Italian outlet Calciomercatoweb is believed to be true, Liverpool are keeping close eyes on Napoli ace Stanislav Lobotka over a potential summer move. The same source has revealed the Reds’ interest in the Lazio midfield maestro Sergej Milinkovic-Savic via a different story published on their website.

Liverpool are having a difficult campaign due to a lack of consistency and dismal away form. They humiliated arch-rivals Manchester United 7-0 at Anfield but were beaten by bottom-placed Bournemouth a week later. They got knocked out from the Champions League Round of 16 after suffering back-to-back defeats against Real Madrid. The majority of first-team stars have underperformed, but their midfield, in particular, has been catastrophic all season.

Lobotka, 28, is enjoying a blistering campaign with the Partenopei. A 19-point cushion over second-placed Lazio makes them the runaway Serie A leaders with 11 games remaining, also they have a pretty decent chance to make it to the UEFA Champions League final following the latest draw for the upcoming rounds.

NAPLES, ITALY – MARCH 15: Stanislav Lobotka of SSC Napoli is challenged by Sebastian Rode of Eintracht Frankfurt during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 leg two match between SSC Napoli and Eintracht Frankfurt at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on March 15, 2023 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

While the lethal attacking duo of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen are making the headlines week in and week out, the ever-present Slovak star has been the vital cog as well as driving force with his dribbles, duels, down-the-middle runs and vision from the centre of the pitch.  He only extended his contract a few days back until the summer of 2027 (with an option for another year), however, a fee of around £44m should be enough to secure his services upon the conclusion of the ongoing term.

Lazio, on the other hand, have shown a massive upsurge under Maurizio Sarri. Despite a shocking exit from the UEFA Europa Conference League Round of 16, they have climbed up to second in the league standings thanks to Mattia Zaccagni’s solitary goal against Roma in Sunday’s Rome derby. 28-year-old Milinkovic-Savic is being utilized as a ‘number 8’ – a role that suits his game given the physicality, ball-carrying ability and creative spark in and around the attacking third. Although he is valued at £40m, the Reds might rope him in on a cut-price deal with just a year left in his Biancocelesti contract.

ROME, ITALY – MARCH 19: Sergej Milinkovic Savic of SS Lazio compete for the ball with Paulo Dybala of AS Roma during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico on March 19, 2023 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

Why Liverpool Must Consider Summer Swoop For The Reported Targets

The Merseysiders are likely to undergo a summer overhaul in the middle of the park. Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are expected to depart as free agents, also veteran James Milner is yet to decide on his future beyond the current season. He would be a sporadic option even if handed an extension, whereas persistent injury problems refrained Thiago Alcantara and Arthur Melo from exhibiting their playmaking traits.

Skipper Jordan Henderson and Fabinho have struggled to run the show, also the young academy prodigy Curtis Jones once again failed to prove his form and fitness during the crisis period. Teenage pair Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic have performed better than the rest, however, the latter’s season-ending injury has now added more misery to their misfortune. Irrespective of the Jude Bellingham rumour, the Reds must opt for either Lobotka or Milinkovic-Savic (or both) to add quality, flexibility and experience as part of the squad rebuild.