Lazio say Reds have not made bid for Serbian
LAZIO have yet to receive an offer for United target Sergej Milinkovic-Savic but will ‘decide what to do’ if one of his many suitors make a bid, according to the club’s sporting director, Igli Tare.
The Serbia international has repeatedly been linked with a move away from the Stadio Olimpico in 2018 and speculation has intensified following Lazio’s failure to qualify for the Champions League earlier this month.
United, though, are close to clinching a deal for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred , the self-titled ‘conductor’, after targeting a midfielder who could help dictate the tempo of their play like retired skipper Michael Carrick did.
And Tare has now confirmed that United have yet to make a bid for his prized asset.
“The failed Champions League qualification doesn’t change things. We know what we must do and must improve on,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
“We must put [manager Simone] Inzaghi in the condition to do well next season, so Sergej’s predicament wasn’t started yesterday but two years ago.
“We’re talking about a player who deserves this stage. We don’t want to talk about figures, the market isn’t based on ‘if’ and ‘maybe’. ‘At this moment, we have yet to receive an offer and when it arrives we’ll decide what to do.”
Milinkovic-Savic was directly involved in 20 goals for Lazio last season and will be playing alongside Nemanja Matic for Serbia at next month’s World Cup.
The 23-year-old is represented by former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman, who won the Premier League under Jose Mourinho in 2005. ED Woodward has made the same vow to each of the three United managers he’s appointed.
From David Moyes to Louis van Gaal to Jose Mourinho – the script from the executive vice chairman has never altered.
If the best players in the world become available, United will be in the reckoning.
Such lofty talk did Moyes few favours in a calamitous first summer at Old Trafford that defined his wretched eigth-month reign.
He was dazzled by the prospect of signing Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Cesc Fabregas – but ended up with Marouane Fellaini.
Van Gaal was more used to shopping high-end – but was still left trying to shoehorn Angel di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Bastian Schweinsteiger into his plans.
Mourinho has brought a focus to United’s transfer strategy that it had lacked since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement – but he shares Woodward’s eye for the marquee acquisition.
Be it the world record £89m signing of Paul Pogba, the glamour of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, his indiscreet flirtations with Bale last summer, or the January hijacking of Alexis Sanchez’ proposed move to City, Mourinho is happy to use the lure of United to target the world’s best.
It’s hard to imagine there wasn’t some contact between him and Woodward as Bale delivered a good old fashioned ‘come and get me’ in the aftermath of his Champions League final heroics.
The Welshman could have waited before kicking off a summer of speculation regarding his future – savouring the moment.
Instead, he struck while the iron was hot – when it would have maximum impact.
Only a very select few clubs could afford the overall package to sign the 29-year-old – United being among them.
So this is a test of Woodward’s resolve to land a player he has coveted ever since taking control of United’s transfers in 2013.
Another attacking option was not considered a priority in a summer when Mourinho is desperate to overhaul his midfield and defence.
As far as United’s manager was concerned, the signing of Sanchez negated the need for any further additions up front.
But the imbalance of United’s attack in the second half of the season only emphasised the need to find a player capable of playing on the right of a forward three. Bale fits that description perfectly – with his two-goal cameo against Liverpool in Kiev a measure of his destructive capabilities when cutting in onto his left foot. That is what United have lacked when deploying Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford on that side – and why despite signing Romelu Lukaku and Sanchez over the last 12 months, they still look light in attack. If there is a major obstacle to United’s pursuit of Bale, it is the financial package in relation to the other business Mourinho wants to conduct. Ideally he’d like to bring in two midfielders, two fullbacks and a central defender. Conservatively that would cost in excess of £200m before Bale and his wages are taken into consideration. And that’s precisely why Woodward’s vow over marquee signings will face its severest test yet. James Robson