Manchester United have suffered a knockback in their pursuit of Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as the Italian giants insist on £87.5 million for their star man. ThIs valuation is £20 million more than United expected to pay but interest in the player has risen and so therefore, has his value.
The 23-year-old was thought to be Manchester United number one transfer target however now the Red Devils are reluctant to pursue such a massive deal. The box-to-box midfielder’s value could soar even higher this summer as he could play a starring role for Serbia at the World Cup.
Jose Mourinho is close to signing another midfielder this summer, Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk for a fee around £50 million which is another reason the club are now cooling their interest in Milinkovic-Savic. The club are expected to spend big this summer but given the fact they are also looking at bringing in Alex Sandro and Toby Alderweireld, this budget may be stretched.
With Fred being added to the strong duo of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic, United should have more than enough to compete in the middle of the park next season, without the addition of the Lazio man. However, if Mourinho sees him as crucial to his plans, the signing must not be ruled out, although it may now happen later in the window.
United will be desperate to close the 19 point gap to Manchester City next season and the board are ready to fix the problems they faced last season. Due to his big asking price, Milinkovic-Savic may have slipped down in their priorities.
