Barcelona Join Race for €150m-Rated Real Madrid Target as Manchester United Interest Wanes

Barcelona are the latest club to be linked with Lazio and Serbia star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, joining rivals Real Madrid and half of Europe's top clubs in pursuing the 23-year-old. 

Mundo Deportivo report that clubs are putting the squeeze on the Catalan giants in the transfer market, aware that the reigning La Liga champions have €100m in transfer funds left over which had been earmarked for triggering Antoine Griezmann's release clause. 

A move for Milinkovic-Savic has now been touted as a possible use for that 'leftover' money, with the Catalan outlet claiming that Lazio president Claudio Lotito will ask for around that €100m sum for the exciting young midfielder. 

However, reports from Italy a few days ago claimed, when reporting the story that Julen Lopetegui is interested in bringing the 23-year-old to Real Madrid, that Lazio could demand anything up to €150m for a player who has attracted attention from so many of Europe's leading clubs - including Manchester United and Juventus. 

United's interest looks to be dying off though, with a deal reportedly agreed with Ukrainian champions Shakhtar for the transfer of Brazilian midfielder Fred - with Jose Mourinho preferring to strengthen evenly around his squad rather than overloading an already busy midfield by adding Fred and the man known affectionately as 'SMS'. 

Milinkovic-Savic will next be in action on Friday evening against Switzerland as the Serbs look to secure their passage to the last 16 for the first time as an independent nation, having failed to make it beyond the group stage in 2010 and failing to qualify for the tournament at all four years later.