World Cup 2018 scouting report: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic shows glimpses of why Manchester United would be wise to go back in for him

Few players came into this World Cup with more intrigue than Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, coveted by half of Europe’s elite after a revelatory season at Lazio, and his tournament debut against Costa Rica showcased exactly why he is regarded as such a unique and exciting talent.

Aleksandar Kolarov may have provided Serbia’s decisive breakthrough in Samara with his stunning free-kick, but there were more than enough flashes from Milinkovic-Savic to justify Mladen Krstajic’s decision to make the 23-year-old the creative hub of his team.

Standing at 6ft 3in with a powerful frame but blessed with the skill and close control of a diminutive No10, it’s easy to see why Milinkovic-Savic has drawn comparisons to Paul Pogba. He is a walking match-up nightmare for defences and Costa Rica, despite having broader success in stifling Serbia’s build-up play for long spells, never really knew how to deal with him.

One neat early turn and driving run put Kolarov in a good position to cross from the left, while another slick spin between two Costa Rica defenders drew ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the crowd. Milinkovic-Savic, deployed as a No10 in Serbia’s 4-2-3-1 system, was always prepared to receive the ball under pressure to feet, chest or head, and he invariably used it intelligently.

Serbia’s game plan was to have Milinkovic-Savic join Aleksandar Mitrovic as a second striker whenever the play was funnelled wide, but the poor level of Branislav Ivanovic’s crossing ensured his height did not prove as problematic for Costa Rica as it should have done.

He had more success latching onto deeper deliveries, but the offside flag twice deprived him of his big moment: The first occasion, when he superbly controlled Kolarov’s floated ball before firing tamely at Keylor Navas, was a correct call; the second, when Navas was forced to parry away his brilliantly improvised overhead kick from Luka Milivojevic’s cross, was not.

It is obvious that Serbia are yet to figure out how to maximise Milinkovic-Savic. Too often they indulged the temptation to fire the ball into him at head height, a result of their slow possession allowing Costa Rica to cut off the passing angles into him.

Whenever he did get the ball to feet, the Lazio star they nicknamed ‘The Sergeant’ in Italy oozed class. One brilliant dinked through ball provided Mitrovic with the game’s clearest chance, only for the Newcastle striker to shoot straight at Navas when it looked easier to score.

Costa Rica’s need to push forward after Kolarov’s goal finally gave Milinkovic-Savic the space to do real damage. His own shooting touch deserted him with one effort blazed high and wide from just outside the penalty area, but another perfectly-timed through pass should have resulted in either a goal for Mitrovic or a penalty.

Manchester United have held serious interest in Milinkovic-Savic in the recent past along with Juventus and, considering Jose Mourinho’s desire for height and power all over the pitch, he looks a perfect fit to partner Matic and Pogba at Old Trafford – or even perhaps to replace the Frenchman if his relationship with his manager continues to worsen.

Mourinho would be wise to move quickly though. If this performance is a sign of things to come, Lazio’s reported asking price of £88 million for Milinkovic-Savic could look cheap by the time Serbia’s run in the World Cup is done.