Manchester United have been disappointed with Andre Onana’s continued inconsistency and costly errors in goal, so goalkeeper has become a secondary need for the team this summer. Now, Fabrizio Romano and Matteo Moretto are reporting for GiveMeSport that the Red Devils have begun initial talks for Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.
The name “Milinkovic-Savic” used to be famous for Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, but ever since SMS left for the Saudi Pro League, Vanja, his younger brother, has become a star in his own right.
Serie A fans know that Milinkovic-Savic is one of the best goalkeepers in the league. Onana used to be a great goalkeeper in Italy for Inter Milan, too, but Milinkovic-Savic is even better, making fewer mistakes and more game-saving stops for the Bulls of Turin.
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic is putting up amazing numbers
Milinkovic-Savic isn’t a big name in European football, but, again, those who are familiar with Serie A understand that he is a great goalkeeper and an upgrade over Onana in 2025.
This season, the 28-year-old Serbian international has posted a save percentage of 77.1 with just 1.09 goals per game allowed for a mid-table Italian side. Last season, he was even better than that, posting some of the best numbers in European football with an 81 percent save percentage, just 0.86 goals per game surrendered, and a clean sheet in a whopping half of his appearances.
Milinkovic-Savic could be a bargain because so little people around the world understand that he’s one of the best goalkeepers in Europe right now, simply because Torino don’t get any spotlight.
Manchester United will make striker their biggest priority with how Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have struggled to find the back of the net, but after securing a game-changing goal-scorer like former Serie A star Victor Osimhen or Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, a goalkeeper like Milinkovic-Savic should be their next task.
The difference between Onana and Milinkovic-Savic in 2025 will be points in the final league table, and Manchester United need to seriously think about making this move.
Signing someone like Vanja Milinkovic-Savic would signal a change in approach from Manchester United, who have traditionally gone for the hottest names on the market to make a splash or whatever is “in” instead of making smart, prudent signings based on analytics. Milinkovic-Savic would be a textbook version of the latter – the kind of signings perennial title contenders in England like Manchester City and Liverpool have consistently made over the past decade.
Joe Soriano covers Tottenham for FanSided’s Hotspur HQ and writes about Real Madrid for The Real Champs. He has extensive experience covering world football since 2014. Joe is an editor for The Trivela Effect, where he covers the biggest clubs in European football. He has watched professional sports regularly since 2002 and can be found playing the same sports he covers with his friends.