Lazio insist Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is not for sale amid Manchester United interest

Lazio president Claudio Lotito insists midfielder Sergej Milinkiovic-Savic is "not on the market" amid interest from Manchester United and is not interested in the speculation linking the talented Serbian with a move away from the Stadio Olimpico.

Milinkovic-Savic has been pivotal to Lazio's fortunes in recent months as they battle with arch-rivals Roma and Inter Milan for Champions League qualification. The well-rounded 22-year-old, who joined from Belgian outfit Genk in 2015, has produced a number of utterly dominant performances this season, chipping in with vital goals in the process.

His displays have inevitably led to interest from some of Europe's richest clubs; United have been credited with an interest, while Paris Saint-Germain were said to be planning a €170m (£150.9m, $201.6m) bid for Savic, who cost Lazio just €9m two-and-a-half years ago.

Such an offer would surely be too much for Lazio to resist, but Lotito, who was banned from football for two-and-a-half years in 2006 for his role in Calciopoli, the Italian football scandal which saw Italy's biggest clubs accused of match-fixing, is not willing to part with the vaunted Serbia international.

"Circulation figures from the Serbian midfielder, how much can it hold? I do not care," Lotito said in an interview with Corriere dello Sport, relayed by Calcio Mercato. "He's not on the market! He looks like me, has the same character: spirit of sacrifice and he has courage."

"When his father 'convinced him' to go to Florence to talk with Fiorentina, he, who already had the agreement with us, arrived there and explained: 'I just want Lazio!' This says everything, for me."

Lotito insists selling Savic is not in his thinking at this moment in time, but his stance may change if United, PSG or another interested party submit a bid close to the €170m figure the French giants were apparently willing to offer.

The Lleida-born midfielder will almost certainly remain in Italy until the end of the season at least, but United are primed to complete the signing of Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez after their close rivals Manchester City ended their pursuit of the Chilean.

Sanchez seemed destined to reunite with City boss Pep Guardiola but United are willing to comply with his agent's demands over wages and pay Arsenal £35m for a player whose current contract will expire in the summer. Chelsea have reportedly made a late move for the 29-year-old, but Jose Mourinho is "relaxed" over his side's chances of capturing the former Udinese wonderkid.