He has shed his brother’s shoes and taken his space, between the posts and in the stories of this league. Vanja Milinkovic Savic says goodbye to Turin as a star player, for €20 million
20 milioni e arriva Milinkovic Savic: è pronto per il grande salto (AnsaFoto) – serieanews.com
It has always been said that to become truly great one must first go through the mud. That of mistakes, of benches, of uncomfortable labels. Vanja Milinkovic-Savic shrugged that mud off with a stubborn, almost stubborn slowness.
They called him a brother in arms for years, as if genetics were enough to explain who you are on the field. Then, at 28, he responded in his own way: with four out of five penalties saved and a championship played like a giant. Literally and metaphorically.
There was a time when he seemed destined to stay there, in the limbo of “could but can’t.” Instead, here he is, Vanya. With that tough face and the gloves that took the chestnuts out of the fire for Torino on more than one occasion. It was not a good season: it was THE season. The one that changes the way others look at you. More importantly, the one that changes your career.
For those who have followed Serie A this year with a modicum of attention, Milinkovic-Savic’s name has been a constant among the best. Not for cover shots, but for that solidity that mature goalkeepers know how to convey just by standing between the posts. Vanja had reflexes, coolness, continuity. He had the right leap at the right moments.
And no, it is no longer just about that heavy surname shared with Sergei, now enjoying the Saudi heat. He has become the protagonist. The limelight is all his. Also because it is not often that a goalkeeper from Torino ends up in the notebook of the Italian bigs (and not only). And this time it is not because of hype or promises: it is because of merits. Real, concrete ones.
Milinkovic Savic, clausola e sirene: le squadre che potrebbero prenderlo
In soccer there are contracts, but there are also bargains. And the one concerning Vanja Milinkovic Savic has a specific number: 20 million. That is the amount written in black and white in the clause of his contract, which expires in 2027. A figure that today, for what he has shown, seems almost low. In fact, it is low. We don’t say it, the market suggests it, the middlemen whisper it.
Milinkovic Savic, clausola e sirene: le squadre che potrebbero prenderlo (LaPresse) – serieanews.com
Those who need a goalkeeper, serious and ready, do well to look there. Napoli, which continues to muddle through on Meret’s future. Lazio, which has discovered Mandas but cannot yet make him a dogma. Milan, as uncertain as ever about Maignan’s permanence. But the truth is that Vanja could be fine anywhere. And perhaps because of that, he will no longer be where he is.
Turin raised him, but now it is time to leave. Not out of lack of gratitude, but out of ambition. Such a goalkeeper today has a duty to challenge himself elsewhere. He has the right to aim high. He is now a complete goalkeeper. Strong between the posts, effective in exit, glacial from the eleven meters. One who no longer seeks approval, but confirmation.
It is often said that goalkeepers reach full maturity late. But when they get there, they stay there for a long time. That’s why whoever gets Vanja today also gets his tomorrow. And maybe he’ll realize he got a bargain before he even realizes it.
This article 20 million and here comes Milinkovic Savic: He’s ready for the big jump appeared first on SerieANews.
