MANCHESTER UNITED appear to have won the battle to sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic after Lazio midofielder became one of the hottest prospects in Europe with his performances this season.
The Red Devils have reportedly agreed to sign the Lazio star for £80m after he led the Roman giants to an impressive campaign in Serie A and the Europa League.
And now he has his eye on leading Serbia through a tough World Cup group containing Brazil, Switzerland and Costa Rica.
But who is Milinkovic-Savic and what would he bring to the Premier League? Our friends at Football Whispers are on hand with a comprehensive profile of the Lazio star.
Who is Sergej Milinkovic-Savic?
With a professional footballer for a father and a high-profile basketball-playing mother, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic comes from fine athletic stock.
Born in Spain in 1995, where his father was playing for Lleida at the time, Milinkovic-Savic grew up in Serbia and represents the Eastern European nation at international level.
His footballing education began at Vojvodina in Serbia, where he rose through the ranks to become a first-team regular while still in his teens.
After one impressive season in the senior side at the Karadorde Stadium he was snapped up by Belgian side Genk in the summer of 2014, just a year removed from starring for Serbia as they won the European Under-19 Championship.
At Genk, who have also given breaks to the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Christian Benteke, still only 18, Milinkovic-Savic shone, scoring five times in 24 outings and showcasing a remarkably well-rounded skillset for a central midfielder of his age.
Lazio moved quickly to snap the gifted youngster up in July 2015, forking out £16million for his services.
As has been the case throughout his career to date, Milinkovic-Savic adapted quickly to his new surroundings, immediately becoming a key player in Rome.
MOST READ IN FOOTBALL
What type of player is Sergej Milinkovic-Savic?
Under the auspices of current coach Simone Inzaghi, Milinkovic-Savic has made significant developmental leaps this season, improving his discipline, decision-making and consistency.
From his box-to-box role in the middle of Lazio’s midfield, he is the beating heart of a vibrant side pushing for Champions League qualification.
At almost 6ft 4ins, he has all the physical tools to dominate the middle third of the pitch: powerful in the air, a strong tackler and able to hold more experienced opponents at arm’s length – hence his nickname ‘Sergente’, sergeant.
But ‘SMS’ is also a technical master, blessed with excellent passing technique over all ranges, tremendous vision, flawless close control and an ability to get forward and score.
Regarded as the finest young midfielder in Italy since Paul Pogba’s 2016 departure to Manchester United, Milinkovic-Savic possesses a similar ability to conjure scoring chances from nowhere as the Frenchman.
In Lazio’s recent win away to Genoa, the Biancocelesti were rescued from 1-0 down by their 22-year-old talisman, who scored from close range before brilliantly creating a goal with a reverse pass for Felipe Caicedo in the closing stages to secure all three points.
Capped twice at senior international level, Milinkovic-Savic is set to be one of the breakout stars of next year’s World Cup in Russia.
The midfielder is so highly rated by the Serbian FA that boss Slavoljub Muslin, who refused to call him up to any of his squads, was axed despite guiding the Balkan nation to their first international tournament in eight years.
Serbian football’s governing body announced that the reasoning behind their decision was to avoid potentially losing talented players to foreign national teams – almost certainly alluding to Milinkovic-Savic, who is eligible for Spain.
Leave a comment