Manchester City placed Vanja Milinković-Savić on their summer wish list, but they will need to outperform Antonio Conte’s Napoli to secure the Serie A star – a player who could potentially take the place of one of Pep Guardiola’s most influential players in recent seasons.
Milinković-Savić is a 28-year-old goalkeeper who previously belonged to Manchester City’s arch-rivals Manchester United. He signed for United in 2014, but never managed to play his way to a place in the first team until he left for Polish side Lechia Gdańsk in 2016.
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The Serbian signed for Torino in 2017 and after several loan spells established himself as the club’s first choice goalkeeper. This season, he has kept a clean sheet in 10 out of 30 games for Torino.
According to WhoScored, he has been the club’s second best player this season, only beaten by Duván Zapata. Milinković-Savić also tops the Serie A statistics for save percentage (77.3%) and penalty saves (four).
Tuttosport reports that Milinković-Savić’s strong performances have now put him on Manchester City’s radar. The club’s future sporting director, Hugo Viana, is said to be a big admirer of the 19-cap-strong Serbian, but Napoli are also interested.
A modern goalkeeper that fits perfectly
Both Viana and Napoli boss Conte are impressed by Milinković-Savić’s ability with the ball as well as his solid goalkeeping skills.
Torino know they can make a good profit from a sale, and it is claimed that “reasonable offers will be considered” for the 2.06-metre tall goalkeeper.
His contract expires in June 2026, but Torino have an option to extend for another year, giving them a strong negotiating position.
It is believed that both Manchester City and Napoli could soon make concrete bids to secure Milinković-Savić – whose brother Sergei plays for Al-Hilal.
How much Torino will charge is not yet known, but at 28 years old, he is older than some of City’s other goalkeepers, such as Porto’s Diogo Costa (25). Still, considering that goalkeepers often have longer careers, age is not an issue for either club.
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Replace Ederson?
City are stepping up their search for a new goalkeeper ahead of a possible departure of current first-choice goalkeeper Ederson. The Brazilian has made more mistakes than usual this season and reportedly wants a move to Saudi Arabia after a deal fell apart last summer.
Backup goalkeeper Stefan Ortega is also hoping for more playing time if Ederson leaves the Etihad during the year.
