Sergej Milinkovic-Savic could work for Manchester United but Frenkie de Jong question would stay

Frenkie de Jong is Manchester United's top midfield target this summer, in case you didn't already know. The saga has been rumbling on since the end of last season, with many supporters now growing tired of speculation.

The Dutchman seems unwilling to move from the Camp Nou, with owed wages from Barcelona further complicating any potential deal. United could eventually reach a point whereby they have to look elsewhere for reinforcements in the middle of the park.

A number of alternative options have been touted, from Ruben Neves to Youri Tielemans, but a fresh name has emerged with a distant United past. Although Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has never previously played for an English club, he's been consistently linked with a move to the Premier League for most of his career.

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Now aged 27, around three to four years have passed since the Serbian international was tipped for a transfer to Old Trafford, but has his game changed in that time? When United were first interested in him, Milinkovic-Savic almost played as an unorthodox No.10 at times for Lazio. Standing around 6 ft 3 ins, he didn't fit the conventional mould of a slight, tricky and creative talent who operated in small spaces.

Lazio used a wide variety of complex formations at the time. Three-at-the-back largely remained intact but further forward, the dynamics of the midfield and attack constantly changed, from 3-5-2 to 3-4-3 to 3-5-1-1 to 3-1-4-2.

Milinkovic-Savic was obviously attack-minded, and he also possessed an eye for goal. In the three seasons between 2017/18 and 2019/20, he scored 24 goals in Serie A — none of them penalties — with 10 of those originating