Lazio are closing on Eintracht Frankfurt winger Filip Kostic, according to Sportitalia, quickly surging ahead of Inter in the running.
It could be a paid loan deal with obligation to buy if they qualify for the Champions League.
The 28-year-old Serbia international is under contract until June 2023 and contributed a spectacular 17 assists in 30 Bundesliga matches this season, along with four goals of his own.
Kostic plays primarily on the left side of midfield, but can also work on the left or right of a trident attack.
Inter have also been linked with Kostic, but Sportitalia transfer pundit Alfredo Pedullà maintains this evening that Lazio are the favourites.
The Biancocelesti have just appointed new coach Maurizio Sarri, who favours a 4-3-3 formation, and needs players who can transform from predecessor Simone Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 approach.
The Corriere dello Sport had already suggested Lazio were opening talks for Kostic, but Sportitalia claim they have progressed rapidly.
He has been at Eintracht Frankfurt since 2018, initially on loan from Hamburg and then purchased for a total €6.6m.