Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is expected to schedule contract negotiations with his club, thus Manchester United could save millions by delaying their plans to sign the midfielder.
The Serbian star’s current contract expires in 2024, and he is looking to extend it with a low release clause to make a future move easier. Erik ten Hag might be able to take advantage of this.
Three years ago, United expressed their initial interest in Milinkovic-Savic, who was one of Ed Woodward’s top targets.
The 27-year-old had a successful 2021/22 in the Serie A, scoring 11 goals in 37 games for Maurizio Sarri as the Rome club placed fifth in the Italian top division. Although interest has cooled since then, the player has reemerged as a possible target.
During the first international break of this campaign, his team is fourth in the league and he has continued to flourish, scoring twice in all competitions. According to Manchester Evening News, United remain a potential destination for Serbian internationals. He reportedly has a great rapport with Lazio president Claudio Lotito and director of football Igli Tare, so he is hesitant to jeopardise it by pressing a transfer away.
In an effort to resolve the current situation, Lazio has scheduled a meeting with Mateja Kezman, an agent for former Chelsea player Milinkovic-Savic. The player is requesting a low release clause to facilitate a future transfer, thus an extension of the contract is not yet expected.
The Serie A club will likely be under greater pressure to sell given his contract position, so the Red Devils may be best served to hold out until at least next summer, potentially saving them millions of dollars.
They could also benefit from a new, cheaper release clause. However, there is a chance that other clubs would opt to take a chance on the Serb if he has a strong World Cup. Instead, Lazio executives view the January transfer window as a potential window of opportunity to profit from their asset; should he do well for Serbia at the World Cup, his price tag is likely to increase.
With United essentially being the only team credited with a genuine interest this summer, the midfielder would also have a wider selection of teams to choose from.
Although it is unclear what Milinkovic-Savic will do next, United will continue to pay close attention to the situation in the coming months.
