Manchester United Want Bryan Cristante, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in Fresh Rumours

Manchester United are reportedly considering summer moves for two of the standout midfielders in Serie A this season, with Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Atalanta star Bryan Cristante said to be under consideration. 

According to Nima Tavallaey Roodsari of Calciomercato.com, the Red Devils will face competition from Juventus for the two players.

It's added that Manchester City are also interested in Milinkovic-Savic because of his exceptional form.

Roodsari noted Cristante may be the more attainable of the two players. The former AC Milan midfielder, who is on loan at Atalanta from Benfica, recently told La Gazzetta dello Sport he would be keen to play in English football: "So many people tell me: 'The Premier League is the perfect place for you,' and I agree with them. It's physical, there's a lot of tackling and open football. I can really see myself there."

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Cristante also suggested it has been a "dream" to play in England since Chelsea scouts watched him during a youth tournament. 

As we can see here, courtesy of Scouted Football, the midfielder made a big impression against English opposition in the UEFA Europa League this season:

While Atalanta haven't been able to scale the heights they did last season this term, Cristante has been a bright spark whenever he's played.

The 22-year-old is technically proficient and smart in possession, and he makes his mark on games by using his intelligence and physicality.

Cristante often roams forward into dangerous areas, finding space in opposition defences. When he gets the right type of service, he's able to bully defenders and dominate in the air too. As we can see, courtesy of OptaPaolo, he has consistently chipped in with goals this term:

Milinkovic-Savic has been making considerable waves in the Italian top flight this season.

The Lazio man's game is a lot more refined than Cristante's. The Serbia international has bossed many a midfield battle this season, as he is able to exert his physical presence on opponents and then use his quality in possession to influence matches.

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He's much further along in his development than Cristante and would be a costlier acquisition. According to Neil Fissler of the Sunday Express, the Red Devils would have to pay around £95 million to prise him away from the Italian capital.

However, as journalist David Amoyal relayed, it doesn't appear as though the 22-year-old is thinking about a transfer at this point in his career:

United's midfield has been an area of strength this term, especially the partnership Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic have forged. But when the former has been absent, the Red Devils have looked a little one-dimensional in the middle of the park.

Cristante would add something different, although there will still be doubts as to whether he is at the level required to play for an elite side yet. Meanwhile, getting Milinkovic-Savic would be a challenging and expensive exercise.