Lazio Director Confirms Club Rejected €70M Bid for Sergej Milinković-Savić
Lazio director Igli Tare confirmed that the Serie A outfit had "received and rejected" a €70m offer for Sergej Milinković-Savić during the summer transfer window, and insists that they will fight to keep the midfielder in Rome next season.
The Serbia international has caught the eye of a number of European clubs this season, and a number of the continents' financial powerhouses are expected to try and sign the 22-year-old this summer.
In Lazio's recent Europa League match against Romanian side Steaua București, it has been reported by the Mirror that scouts from Manchester United were spotted in the stands to watch Milinković-Savić - a wasted trip as the midfielder was an unused substitute.
If the Red Devils' staff opted to stay in Italy for Lazio's trip to Sassuolo on Sunday, they would have seen Milinković-Savić put in a man of the match performance where he scored two goals in a 3-0 win - taking his tally for the season to 11 goals across all competitions.
The Mirror also claim that Manchester United are weighing up moves for Jorginho and Jean Michaël Seri amid uncertainty over Paul Pogba's future at Old Trafford.
Lazio's sporting director recently confirmed that Milinković-Savić had been the subject of a big money offer last summer. However, Tare said that they hope that rejecting offers for their in-demand midfielder will break the consensus that the Biancocelesti are a "stepping stone" to bigger clubs.
"Over the summer we received, and rejected, an offer worth €70m for Milinković-Savić," Tare told Mediaset Premium (via Football Italia).
"We want to make Lazio a point of arrival for players rather than a stepping stone to bigger clubs. We have a lot of work to do, but that is our objective.
"The team was built to achieve certain objectives and from now until the end of the season, there will be no more transfer market distractions. Rumours in the media are part of the profession and you must learn to live with them."
