The idea that Manchester United could end up making a bid for Sergej Milinković-Savić this summer continues to circulate in Italy.
As we have said a million times, it’s directly linked to Paul Pogba’s contractual situation, with many seeing the Serbian as the ideal replacement for the Old Trafford star should he fail to renew and find himself another club on a free transfer.
The Lazio midfielder, however, would be expensive, but long gone are the days of him being worth €100m or more.
That’s according to Corriere dello Sport, who have an article on his future on Tuesday, explaining this year is the one where we should ‘really take into account his probably departure’ from the Rome side.
His contract there expires in 2024, and if Lazio want to maximise a sale, waiting until next year would be counter-productive.
At 27 years of age, the midfielder is entering his prime years and ‘wants to play continuously in the Champions League’.
Whether Manchester United are the best club for that remains to be seen, but if he can be the one to help drag them back where they feel they belong, he would immediately enter the hearts of the Old Trafford faithful.
For him, ‘it is not just a question of money’, he simply ‘wants to try a new adventure’, with his agent and Lazio ‘always in contact’ as he ‘continues to receive enquiries from big clubs’.
Corriere dello Sport point out that the English media have Manchester United ‘in pole’, although most of the reports on the Serbian have stemmed from Italy in the first place.
Either way, ‘the right price must be defined in case of an exit’, with the player’s entourage reportedly feeling that a bid of between €65-70m as sufficient to get a move done.
One area everyone can agree on is that it ‘certainly won’t drop below €60m’, and ‘these are the bases on which a possible negotiation can be set up’.
While there have been many summers during which Milinković-Savić’s departure has been discussed, this one feels different and the hypothesis of him staying or renewing ‘is not contemplated’.
The player may have ‘always adhered to Lazio’s will, even when Manchester United presented mind-boggling offers’, but he now ‘thinks the time has come to have a prominent position’ elsewhere, all the while ‘respecting the rights’ of his current club.
