Revealed: The condition on which Milan or Inter can sign Lazio's Milinkovic-Savic

07 mar 2019

To describe Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as a wanted man is a bit of an understatement. The Serbian midfielder was one of the most talked about players in the summer market last year; with Manchester United, Arsenal, Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid and PSG all linked to the talented Serb. Reports from the Italian media late in the summer had reported that Milinkovic-Savic had all-but signed for AC Milan yet this mysteriously failed to come true.

The reports in the past month have suggested that, due to a drop-off in the Serbian's performances, that AC Milan and Inter Milan are now the favourites for his signature, both teams facing less competition from Europe's elite and instead leading the pack of their own. Both clubs are eager to sign the Serbian but it is likely that Claudio Lotito, Lazio president, could receive way more from AC Milan; who have a habit of overspending and lack the connection that Inter CEO Beppe Marotta has with Lazio's upper management.

There is one factor which will almost single-handedly determine where Milinkovic-Savic will play next season, and that is the prospect of Champions League football. With AC Milan's embarrassing Europa League exit at the hands of Greek side Olympiakos, the Rossoneri can only qualify through the top four in the league, whilst Lazio hold a similar route to next season's UCL. Inter, on the other hand, remain in the Europa League and therefore have two routes of qualification.

If Lazio qualify for the Champions League, Milinkovic-Savic will likely remain with Lazio; with the player less interested in leaving the club and therefore Lotito and Igli Tare are able to put a much higher price on any potential sale of the Serbian. If Inzaghi's side miss out on UCL once again, however, then it will truly be a Milan derby for his signature.

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