Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s agent has distanced his client from a potential move to Juventus, insisting that his client is happy in the capital playing for Lazio, although he was full of praise for the Bianconeri.
Milinkovic-Savic is reportedly top of Juve’s list of dream signings in the summer although they’ll face stiff competition from all sides.
The Bianconeri were believed to have made a concerted effort to sign the Serbian midfielder earlier in the year when Lazio president Claudio Lotito confirmed that he had turned down a €70m offer from an unnamed side, although it’s reported this could have been Juventus or one of the Spainish giants, Barcelona or Real Madrid.
The 22-year-old has made a strong start to the new season, featuring in six league games, scoring one goal and playing a fundamental role in coach Simone Inzaghi’s new-look Lazio side which has seen a seamless shift from 4-3-3 to 3-5-2.
Despite the links to Juventus that have continued to be printed in the Italian press, Savics’ agent has been quick to distance him and his client from any possible talks with the Bianconeri.
“It was enough to see Sergej on the pitch for 10 minutes during a Vojvodina youth team training session to understand his enormous potential,” Mateja Kezman, Savic’s agent, told Turin based daily, Tuttosport.
“Sergej is special, he combines strength, speed and technique. He’s a top talent and he needed a club like Lazio and a Coach like [Simone] Inzaghi who is doing the best and the maximum for him.
“Juventus? Sergej is very happy at Lazio, and he renewed his contract not long ago.”
Juve and Lazio will go head to head this weekend with the Biancocelesti having already drawn first blood when they routed the Bianconeri in the 3-2 victory in Augusts’ SuperCoppa Italia.
“Lazio already beat Juventus in the Supercoppa this season, so I expect a balanced game, 50-50.
“The Bianconeri are no longer the team they were last year, but they’re doing well. This is a good Lazio team though.
“There’s the right atmosphere, a winning mentality and a deep squad.
“I like [Paulo] Dybala, he’s a magical player. As for [Gonzalo] Higuain, last year he was one of the best in Europe. This year he’s had some problems but I’m sure he’ll soon be back to his best.”
Despite Kezman’s denial, Tuttosport have also reported that Savic will be the primary target for Juve next summer as they look to rebuild their midfield around the 22-year-old. There’s speculation from other parts of the Italian press that Juventus have secured the servcies of German international midfielder Emre Can on a free transfer and he, along with Savic, will form the backbone of the new-look Juve midfield. Youngster Rodrigo Bentancur, who has already impressed in a handful of appearances this season, is also expected to be an integral part of the Juventus project for the future as the Bianconeri have invested in a number of young players for the seasons to come.
