Longo: Milinkovic-Savic operation ‘very difficult’ but Milan are the ‘first option’ in Italy

The rumoured signing of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic this summer is ‘very difficult’, as explained by Daniele Longo, but there is still a reason for AC Milan to keep tabs on the situation. 

Milinkovic-Savic left Lazio and Serie A football in the summer of 2023 as he joined Al-Hilal in a €40m deal. Two years later, he reunited with his former manager as Simone Inzaghi signed a contract with the club, which seemingly prompted the player’s contract renewal a few months later.

Despite the above, as with virtually any player that is currently in Saudi Arabia, the Serbian has been linked with a return to Europe and specifically Italy. Given their history with the player and the bond with sporting director Igli Tare, Milan have naturally been mentioned in the discussion.

Difficult but not impossible

Taking stock of the situation in his latest YouTube video, Daniele Longo explained that the links aren’t very strong or concrete at the moment. That is simply because Milinkovic-Savic earns a lot of money at Al-Hilal and that salary isn’t within Milan’s parameters, even if he were to come down a little.

Furthermore, due to the recent contract renewal, you would expect the Saudi Arabian side to request at least a little bit in terms of transfer fees. The player’s age of 31 plays in Milan’s favour here, but it’s difficult to imagine a free transfer nevertheless.

Having said the above, as Longo concluded, it’s clear that if Milinkovic-Savic were to tell Al-Hilal and his agents that he wants a return to Italy, then Milan would be the first option. The key figure in that sense is Tare, who signed the player back when he was at Lazio.

The director still admires the Serbian a lot and believes that he could be a good addition to the team, even at this age (see Luka Modric!). No other team in Serie A, even Lazio, has the same pull that Milan would have if a return to Italy were to be put on the table.