River Plate Placed €18 Million Price Tag On Milan Target Erik Lamela

Milan will have to pay handsomely if they want to take River Plate's latest starlet Erik Lamela to Italy

River Plate have made a strong show of their intention to keep starlet Erik Lamela at the Monumental for 2011, reportedly placing an asking price of €18 million on the 19-year-old's shoulders to scare off pursuing Milan.

The Italians have been following the progress of Lamela throughout the Apertura campaign, where the attacking midfielder established himself as one of the revelations of the season as the Millo finished in a respectable fourth place. River however are determined to hang on to the teenager, and Clarin reports that the directors of the club have resolved not to release him for less than €18m.

Milan had already approached the Argentines with an offer approaching €12m, but the move was rejected by directors as an insufficient sum. The Rossoneri will now have to decide whether to risk the large transfer fee on a player still largely untested in professional football, or wait until next June, when they could find his valuation further inflated.