Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was the star of the show in Lazio’s electric 3-3 draw with Empoli yesterday and it seems like it’s just a matter of time until he moves to a top European club.
The 26-year-old is contracted to the Biancocelesti until 2024 and has an estimated market value of around €70m, a fair price considering his status as one of the finest midfielders in Serie A in recent years. Over the last few years he has been linked with moves to clubs like Inter, Tottenham, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, and it’s still a surprise that the Roman club have kept a hold of him until this point.
Milinkovic-Savic has made 63 direct goal contributions over the last five seasons, only 12 behind the most prolific midfielder in Europe’s top five leagues, Kevin De Bruyne. He scored twice and provided one assist in the draw against Empoli yesterday, including the crucial 94th minute equaliser, and he’s clearly one of the stars of Maurizio Sarri’s squad in the Italian capital.
This season the 26-year-old Serb has already scored seven goals and provided seven assists, despite his team’s inconsistency and the massive switch in tactical systems following Simone Inzaghi’s departure back in June last year. And yet, despite all of this, he still seems destined to stay with Lazio for the time being.
One of the reasons for this is his happiness in Rome; Milinkovic-Savic is an incredibly professional player and he has consistently expressed his desire to stay with the Biancocelesti and win more trophies, not pushing for a move away.
Another reason is the difficulty in negotiating with Lazio president Claudio Lotito, who has remained firm in his high requests for the Serbian midfielder. The Italian businessman will not budge off his €70m price tag, making a deal fairly inaccessible for most clubs following the impact of the COVID pandemic.
With a contract lasting until 2024, Milinkovic-Savic is unlikely to leave Lazio in the near future, meaning Sarri can continue to count on the Serbian star for the time being, a relief for the Biancocelesti faithful.
He would walk into the Juventus team…
SMS has been ready for years…
However, the world is not prepared for Lotito`s price ^^