Lazio may be willing to listen to offers for Tottenham Hotspur linked midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic but sporting director Igli Tare makes it clear to Sky Italia that the Serbian powerhouse will not be leaving on the cheap.
It’s fair to say Jose Mourinho did not exactly have a great relationship with Paul Pogba at Manchester United. Maybe he will have better luck with a 6ft 4ins giant of a footballer who has been relentlessly compared to the World Cup winning Frenchman.
According to the Mail, Tottenham are interested in signing Milinkovic-Savic from Serie A title challengers Lazio this summer.
A player who’s supreme technical gifts bely his towering frame, ‘The Sergeant’ is at his brilliant best in the same, left-sided midfield role that Pogba made his own during his heady days at Juventus.
And while it still seems unlikely that Milinkovic-Savic will end up in north London, with chairman Daniel Levy likely to keep the purse strings tight in the coming months, Mourinho’s slim hopes have been given a slight boost this week.
“On Milinkovic-Savic, the boy’s relationship with the city and Lazio will never die because there is a very strong bond that has grown over years,” Tare explains.
“On the other hand, considering the situation, his wishes, everything we’ve talked about, every situation will be evaluated at the right time without any pressure, but above all for the good of both parties.
“If there is a possibility that satisfies the club and the player, (a sale) will be taken into consideration. If there is not, he is happy and we are very happy for him to stay.
Tare does add, however, that the valuation for ‘top-rate’ players is not going to drop, even in this most uncertain of markets.
That clearly contradicts claims from FootMercato that Lazio owner Claudio Lotito was tempted to slash Milinkovic-Savic’s £100 million price-tag by about £30 million.
Well, we did say Tottenham’s chances were slim.
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