David Moyes is set to make Fiorentina an offer to sign Nikola Milenkovic after West Ham United’s talks for Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma broke down, according to The Sun.
The Irons wanted to see Zouma make the move from west to east London this summer to bolster Moyes’ backline. But the Frenchman pulled the plug on the deal after hearing the Hammers would not match his wage demands.
West Ham were prepared to pay Chelsea £20m to sign Zouma ahead of their return to the Europa League. The Blues, however, wanted closer to £30m, but Zouma boosted the Irons bid by wanting to remain in England. Chelsea had offered him to Sevilla for Jules Kounde.
Zouma earns £40,000-per-week at Chelsea on a contract expiring in 2023. The eight-cap enforcer had also slipped down the pecking order already under Thomas Tuchel, before his pursuit of Kounde. But West Ham are now looking to sign Milenkovic from Fiorentina.
Moyes is pushing the Hammers to buy the 23-year-old ahead of their Premier League curtain-raiser at Newcastle on August 15. Fiorentina would sell the Serbian for £14m, as he is in the final year of a £25,000-per-week contract in Tuscany.
Milenkovic is also keen to join West Ham this summer, which would allow Moyes to focus on signing a striker. Gianluca Di Marzio continues to tout Tammy Abraham as an option for the Irons, but Atalanta are in talks with Chelsea over a €40m (£34m) deal for the forward.
West Ham ditching their pursuit of Zouma in favour of Milenkovic now frees Everton to target the Chelsea centre-back. 90min claim Rafa Benitez wants to strengthen his backline after taking charge a Goodison Park and is considering the Frenchman.
West Ham pass on ‘eye-catching’ Zouma for Fiorentina ace Milenkovic
Moyes will expect Milenkovic to raise the overall quality of his West Ham defence if the centre-back joins from Fiorentina. The Serbia international helped La Viola keep eight clean sheets in 34 Serie A appearances last season.
But West Ham ditching a deal to sign Chelsea’s Zouma for Milenkovic could see Moyes lose out on one trait. Frank Lampard hailed the 26-year-old while in charge for the goals Zouma gave. He ended 2020/21 with five in 24 Premier League games, while Milenkovic hit three.
“The eye-catching thing is the amount of goals he’s scoring from set-pieces,” Lampard told Chelsea’s website. “For me, that’s just him going up more confident and with more belief in himself. He’s always had size and spring, but now you’re seeing him in all parts of the pitch being a real threat aerially and doing his job.”
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