Barcelona have handed Manchester United a huge blow in their chase for Serbia World Cup star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic after they entered the race to sign the 23-year-old. United are still deciding whether to pay Lazio’s rumoured £120million asking price, while Barcelona could sneak in offering less money, but would send midfielder Rafinha the other way as well.
United have been linked with Milinkovic-Savic all summer but his ever-rising price tag has made them wary, especially after a £52m outlay on Shakhtar’s Brazilian midfielder Fred. But as La Repubblica report, Barcelona are now ready to swoop and make concrete their own interest in the player, hoping the player-swap deal will ease Lazio’s hand.
The Serbian’s breakout season in 2017/18 saw him top the Serie A goalscoring charts for midfielders with 12, earning him a place in his country’s World Cup squad. In Russia Milinkovic-Savic played every minute for Serbia, but Mladen Krstajic’s side crashed out in the group stage after defeats to Switzerland and Brazil.