Premier League giants Manchester United made a bid worth ‘over 100 million euros’ for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic during the Serbia international’s time at Serie A outfit Lazio.
That is according to Igli Tare, the Biancocelesti’s sporting director at the time when Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was among the most coveted footballers in the European game.
While the saga didn’t quite reach Nico Gaitan or Wesley Sneijder levels, barely a window went by without the powerhouse midfielder being linked with a move to Manchester United in the recent past.
But, as far as Tare is aware, the speculation was more than just media-driven paper-talk. He confirms that the Red Devils did indeed make a mega-money bid for a player now earning a living in Saudi Arabia.
Manchester United made Sergej Milinkovic-Savic bid
“Many things have been said about Milinkovic-Savic that are not true,” Tare tells TV Play.
“The only true thing is that (Lazio) president Claudio Lotito rejected a very important offer, worth over 100 million euros, from AC Milan and Manchester United.”
Had Milinkovic-Savic arrived at Old Trafford, he could potentially have replaced Paul Pogba as the most expensive signing in the club’s history. Tare insists that United’s offer was at least £86 million.
“I don’t want to get into why the sale did not go through,” the now-out-of-work director adds. “Lotito wanted to maintain a strong squad and keep the promises he had made to the coach.
“Let us not forget that the season which was interrupted by COVID, Lazio were on the verge of winning the Scudetto.”
Serbian now in Saudi
The 6ft 4ins powerhouse eventually brought an end to nearly a decade as Lazio’s string-pulling talisman last summer, joining the Saudi Arabian revolution.
He currently plays in the Middle East with Al-Hilal, the club who also have Renan Lodi, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, Aleksandr Mitrovic and the currently-injured Neymar in their ranks.
“Trust me, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is magic,” former Lazio team-mate Ciro Immobile said back in 2022. “He’s on the same level as Kevin de Bruyne.”
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