Pranav Nair
Manchester United to battle West Ham United for Nikola Milenkovic
According to La Nazione (h/t The Express), Manchester United will face off against West Ham United for Fiorentina star Nikola Milenkovic.
The Red Devils are keen to strengthen their squad this summer and are focused on reinforcing their defence. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side had the fifth-best defence in the league but managed only 13 clean sheets all campaign.
Bringing in a reliable partner for Harry Maguire is now more of a necessity than a luxury. A number of players including Pau Torres, Jules Kounde and Raphael Varane are currently being monitored.
None of the three players could come cheap, forcing us to consider others options as well. This has seen us once again linked with a move for Milenkovic.
The Serbian ace is amongst the few bright spots in what was a disappointing season for Fiorentina. With his contract expiring in 2022, La Viola could be open to selling him this summer.
United will however have to contend with competition from West Ham and even AC Milan. The Italian giants have identified the player as a fallback option if their pursuit of Fikayo Tomori gets nowhere.
West Ham are riding high after a successful season that saw them qualify for Europe. David Moyes’ side are now a much better proposition than they were a year ago.
Whether the Red Devils will make a concentrated effort to land him remains to be seen. While there is much promise in the 23-year-old, Solskjaer and co. are better off bringing in someone who is further along in his development.
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Milenkovic looks up to Nemanja Vidic and has admitted that he tries to model his game on the United great. Whether he will go on to follow the Serbian legend’s footsteps remains to be seen.
