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Türkiye's Fenerbahce reportedly preparing to open talks with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal to sign Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in the winter transfer window, whose contract is due to expire at the end of the season.
According to the Italian sports daily Corriere dello Sport, archrival Galatasaray and Italian powerhouse are also in the race to sign the 30-year-old player.
Milinkovic-Savic, 30, currently plays under coach Simone Inzaghi at Al-Hilal after leaving Italian club Lazio in 2023 for a €40 million fee ($46.64 million).
His agent, Uros Jankovic, has already begun talks with the Saudi club over a potential contract renewal, the report suggested.
However, both Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are reportedly ready to make lucrative offers to bring the Serbian international back to Europe.
Fenerbahce’s management is said to be keen on securing the deal in January, which would require reaching an agreement with Al-Hilal before the player becomes a free agent in the summer.
The club’s football director, Devin Ozek, is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia soon to initiate contact with Al-Hilal officials.
According to the Turkish media, Fenerbahce's coach Domenico Tedesco seeks to replace 32-year-old Brazilian midfielder Fred, who joined the club in the summer of 2023 with a €9.74 million ($11.35 million) fee.
British outlet Goodison News reported that Everton plans to make a renewed bid for Fred in the upcoming winter transfer window.
The English club had attempted to sign the Brazilian midfielder last summer, but the move was reportedly blocked at the time by Fenerbahce’s then-manager Jose Mourinho, who wanted to keep him in the squad, it added.
To fill Fred’s potential vacancy, Fenerbahce reportedly contacted Bayern Munich to sign 30-year-old German midfielder Leon Goretzka, who previously played under Tedesco at Schalke.
However, the German club is said to be reluctant to approve the move, prompting Fenerbahce to turn the focus on Milinkovic-Savic, Turkish sports daily Fanatik reported.
Over the last four matches—two in the Super Lig and two in the Europa League—Tedesco has not included Fred in the starting lineup.
If Fenerbahce agrees to the sale, Fred could move for what is described as a "reasonable transfer fee," reports suggest.
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