Wolves showed an interest in a Serie A midfielder during the recent transfer window, according to The Athletic.

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Which player were Wolves interested in this summer?

The Premier League club reportedly courted Serbia's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who has spent the last six years at Lazio.

It appears that Wolves were very keen on bringing in a central midfielder this summer as they were also linked with Renato Sanches and Hamza Choudhury on Deadline Day. However, they were unable to land any of these players in the end.

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Why did Wolves not manage to sign Milinkovic-Savic?

The reason that Milinkovic-Savic did not arrive at Molineux is simple: he did not want to join Wolves.

The 26-year-old was linked with some high-profile clubs over the summer, including Liverpool,  but he decided to stay in the Italian capital, where he is now into his seventh season at Lazio under new manager Maurizio Sarri.

What were Milinkovic-Savic's stats last season?

Milinkovic-Savic, who is valued at £63m by Transfermarkt, had an eye-catching season last term, recording eight goals and 10 assists in Serie A to help Lazio to a sixth-placed finish. He added a further assist in the Champions League, taking his tally to 11 for the campaign.

The 6 foot 3 international made 42 key passes in Italy's top-flight, while also showing his aerial prowess by winning 104 aerial duels - more than any of his teammates (via WhoScored).

Could he have made a big difference at Wolves?

Undoubtedly.

Milinkovic-Savic has gained a wealth of European experience in recent years through playing in the Champions League and Europa League.

He appears to be getting better and better, and he recently scored his 12th headed goal in Serie A since joining Lazio in 2015 - no other midfielder in the division has scored as many headers in the same period. His number of assists over the years also highlight how he is a major creative influence.

Wolves are not known for getting many goals and assists out of their central midfield, as they often rely on their wingers and Raul Jimenez in the final third.

This could have changed if they'd managed to sign Milinkovic-Savic as his ability to create and convert chances may have taken the pressure off the side's attackers and ensured that they don't become overly-reliant on Adama Traore's pace on the counter-attack.

He could have transformed the way that Bruno Lage's men attack, but Wolves were unable to convince him to move to the Midlands, meaning that their new manager will have to be content with his current crop of players.