West Ham United reach an agreement with Manchester United target Nikola Milenkovic
According to the Italian source Corriere Fiorentino [Print Edition] via Sport Witness (h/t The Sun), Manchester United are set to lose the race for Nikola Milenkovic as West Ham United have reached an agreement with the central defender. He will leave Fiorentina as a result of this breakthrough at the end of the current season.
Milenkovic is currently tied down at the Serie A club until 2023, but it seems that he will depart them this summer. He has reached a “gentleman’s agreement with West Ham regarding a transfer after this campaign draws to a close. Man United seems to have dealt a blow due to this update, with Inter Milan being touted as another potential destination.
Supposedly, the one-year extension signed by the Serb last summer was done to appease the Italian side so they would do him a favour in the future. Perhaps, that could be the reason why his club would be willing to let him go for just £13million this summer. However, he could still prolong his stay with Fiorentina and is yet to take that option off the table.
Not a lost cause?
It seems that the Red Devils may still have a shot at making a case for themselves. After all, it is stated that the 24-year-old could still stay with I Viola past this summer despite agreeing to terms with the Hammers. So it would not be too much of a reach to say that we still have to chance to retaliate.
We should do just that as soon as possible as the valuation currently touted is a massive steal for a player of his quality. The Serbian defender is one of the best in his position in the Italian first division right now and has contributed to his side’s pursuit to achieve European qualification so far.
That being said, we need to be wary of David Moyes’ side since they have an obvious edge at the moment due to the agreement. Inter could also register their interest if they want to do so, and who knows, maybe even, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal could enter the race, having been linked with him in the past.
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Centre-back is one of those positions that we desperately need to strengthen in the summer transfer window. The board must take care of the business if they have ambitions to rebuild this club and bring it to its rightful glory among the top. Bolstering the squad with quality additions is one of the ways to achieve that goal.
Harry Maguire’s struggles in defence have been well documented this season. Raphael Varane has not shown the same level he had showcased at Real Madrid consistently enough. Phil Jones and Eric Bailly obviously need to be replaced by better incomings, and Milenkovic could be that man. But for that to happen, the management should change the current circumstances in the coming months.