Juventus hi-jack Manchester United bid for Serie A star

Juventus have entered the race to sign Manchester United target Sergej Milinkovic-Savic but have fallen short in their attempts to sign the Lazio midfielder, claims Gazzetta dello Sport.

Jose Mourinho is determined to sign at least two central midfielders before the start of next season and is keen on Milinkovic-Savic joining Shakhtar Donetsk ace Fred as summer arrivals.

Lazio missed out on a top-four finish last season and the absence of Champions League football means they will likely lose Milinkovic-Savic to a European giant this summer.

However, the Italian giants are not interested in selling Milinkovic-Savic on the cheap and have reportedly already turned down an offer from United.

Mourinho’s side now face competition from Juventus and the Old Lady are understood to have failed with an opening bid that equates to in the region of £70m.

Lazio are holding out for well in excess of £100m but it remains to be seen whether any side are willing to pay that much for the 23-year-old.

Milinkovic-Savic made a real impression in Serie A this season and has been tipped to be one of the stars of the 2018 World Cup later this month.

The powerful Serbian midfielder weighed in with 12 league goals for Lazio last season, while also adding three assists. However, no Serie A player was dispossessed more times than Milinkovic-Savic (84).