Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s exit from Lazio was one of the most debated sagas of the transfer market window. Ultimately, Al-Hilal emerged victorious in the race to seal his signature after executing his release clause of €40M. However, they weren’t the only team to show interest, as Lazio president Claudio Lotito revealed that €100M was almost within reach from an unnamed Italian club.
Speaking to the microphones (via LaLazioSiamoNoi) of the official radio of Serie A, Lotito shed light on the race for Milinkovic-Savic when quizzed about why he didn’t go to a top club instead.
“We never received concrete offers, the only real one was from an Italian team whose name I won’t mention, which offered over €100M. In the past, I declined an important offer because I had made a commitment to Inzaghi and furthermore we would not have had time to replace Sergej, given that the summer transfer market closed in mid-August. It was a mistake to shut the transfer market early, just as it is still wrong to close it at 8 pm on the last day and not at midnight like in other important championships.”
Lotito disclosed that it was the player’s personal choice.
“Milinkovic’s choice was personal: we didn’t want to sell him and I even offered him very important wages, but before the end of the championship he told me that he would like to have a new experience.”
The incident of Lazio rejecting the bumper bid for Milinkovic-Savic can be tracked back to 2018 when Milan seemed eager to lure him for an offer nearing €120-140M. Juventus were also reported to make such a huge attempt for the central midfielder.
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