Croatia
Indonesia
Nigeria
South Africa

Transfer rumours: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to Lazio, Wilfried Gnonto to stay at Leeds, Emmanuel Dennis to Watford

sportsmole.co.uk, 23 January 2024, 16:23
Al-Hilal midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is reportedly the latest player who wants to call time on his spell in the Saudi Pro League.

The 28-year-old ended his legendary eight-year association with Lazio to join Al-Hilal last summer for a reported £34m, and he has since recorded nine goals and five assists in 23 appearances.

However, according to Italian news outlet Il Messaggero, via The Sun, Milinkovic-Savic has informed some of his former Lazio teammates that he would "like to return" to the Serie A club.

Milinkovic-Savic is said to have expressed his desire to return to Italy when he met with the Lazio squad at Riyadh airport last weekend following their Supercoppa Italiana semi-final defeat to Inter Milan.

During his time at Lazio, Milinkovic-Savic scored 69 goals and registered 59 assists in 341 games for the Eagles, and the box-to-box midfielder helped the club win the 2019 Coppa Italia as well as two Supercoppa Italianas.

The Serbia international, who is under contract at Al-Hilal until June 2026, was previously linked with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain before moving to the Middle East last summer.

Over in England and Championship club Leeds United are reportedly close to agreeing a new contract with Wilfried Gnonto.

The 20-year-old attacker has been linked with an exit from Elland Road ever since the West Yorkshire club were relegated from the Premier League last season.

Gnonto attempted to force an exit from Leeds last summer and went as far as submitted a transfer request in the hope of joining a club in the English top flight, but a transfer ultimately failed to materialise.

The Italy international has since apologised for his actions, but has struggled for regular game time under new Leeds manager Daniel Farke this season, chipping in with only one goal and one assist in seven starts and 14 substitute outings in the Championship.

West Ham United and Everton have both been credited with an interest in signing Gnonto, but according to The Athletic, the attacker is now close to agreeing a new deal with Leeds.

Gnonto has decided to commit his future to Leeds, who currently sit fourth in the Championship table, and is set to extend his current contract which expires in June 2027.

Staying in the Championship and Watford are reportedly close to re-signing striker Emmanuel Dennis from Nottingham Forest.

The 26-year-old scored 10 goals in 37 appearances during one season with the Hornets before moving to Forest in the summer of 2022 following their promotion to the Premier League.

However, Dennis scored just two goals in 27 games for Forest last season, before being shipped out on loan to Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir, where he has been reduced to just eight outings this term due to injury.

According to The Athletic, Basaksehir have agreed to terminate Dennis's existing loan deal to allow him to re-join Watford on a temporary basis for the remainder of the season.

The Nigerian is set to undergo a medical within the next 24 hours ahead of finalising his return to Vicarage Road.

Watford's pursuit of Dennis comes after they allowed Rhys Healey to join fellow second-tier side Huddersfield Town on a permanent deal.

Top News

23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The January transfer window is almost here and clubs around the UK and Europe are lining up moves as they look to take advantage of the opportunity to strengthen. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Hatayspor vs. Adana Demirspor (Monday, 5.00pm) The battle of the bottom feeders in the Turkish Super Lig unfolds on Monday as Hatayspor host Adana Demirspor at the Mersin Stadyumu. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Benfica vs. Estoril (Monday, 6.45pm) Separated by 10 places in the Primeira Liga table before gameweek 15, second-placed Benfica are clear favourites to outdo Estoril Praia at Estadio da Luz on Monday. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fiorentina vs. Udinese (Monday, 5.30pm) After their incredible success streak was finally brought to an end last week, Fiorentina will aim to start another winning run on Monday, when they meet Udinese. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Yemen and Saudi Arabia will celebrate Christmas Day by facing each other on matchday two of the Arabian Gulf Cup on Wednesday at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk First place in Group B of the Arabian Gulf Cup will be at stake on Wednesday as Bahrain and Iraq celebrate Christmas Day at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United transfer target Randal Kolo Muani is very likely to leave Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window, according to reports. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have reportedly set their sights on West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus, with Pep Guardiola keen to strengthen his struggling squad. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly set to rival Arsenal for the signature of Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic in the summer of 2025. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The final Premier League gameweek before Christmas appropriately served up some crackers, including a festive feast of goals in North London, where Liverpool ran riot in an exhilarating 6-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Even when the pulse settled a little after this compellingspectacle it was still difficult to know quite where to start todissect this nine-goal thriller. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Ange Postecoglou cut an irritated figure as he claimed he's going to stop answering questions about Tottenham's tactics. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have supposedly expressed an interest in signing Borussia Dortmund attacker Julian Brandt next month. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's Mohamed Salah refused to give anything away when asked whether he could break Ian Rush's all-time goalscoring record after the Reds' remarkable 6-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's astonishing 6-3 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday evening saw a multitude of records and achievements surpassed, as the Reds moved four points clear at the top of the table. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Al-Ahli have reportedly emerged as the favourites to sign Marcus Rashford, with the Manchester United attacker widely expected to be on the move during the January transfer window. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Everton have become surprise leaders in one statistic across Europe thanks to their draw at home to Chelsea. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool will spend Christmas Day four points clear at the top of the Premier League table thanks to a breathtaking 6-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur in North London. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Kylian Mbappe struck a landmark effort to put himself firmly among Real Madrid's elite. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has insisted that he is "absolutely happy" with his side's goalless draw at Everton on Sunday. 22 December 2024 talksport.com If you thought Mohamed Salah couldn't set yet another record, think again. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk For a second time in successive Gulf Cup competitions, The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait will meet in the group stage, with this upcoming game taking place on Tuesday at Jaber Al-Amad International Stadium in Kuwait City. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong is supposedly not a 'concrete target' for Liverpool amid speculation over Trent Alexander-Arnold's future. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid moved into second spot in the La Liga table courtesy of a 4-2 success over Sevilla in Sunday afternoon's contest at Bernabeu, with Los Blancos ending 2024 on a high note. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Oman and Qatar will compete in the Gulf Cup for the first time in over a decade on Tuesday at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, each seeking their first victory in this edition of the tournament. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have reportedly received offers from three clubs for defender Eric Garcia, but the player is pushing against a move away from Catalonia during the January transfer window. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have broken two unwanted club Premier League records in their humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk New Wolverhampton Wanderers' boss Vitor Pereira earned three points when his side comfortably beat Ruud van Nistelrooy's Leicester City 3-0 away from home on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Aaron Ramsdale was spotted wearing a modified goalkeeper glove in Southampton's Premier League clash at Fulham. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea squandered the chance to go top of the Premier League table for a couple of hours as Everton held the Blues to a goalless stalemate at Goodison Park.