Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic ‘has all the characteristics’ to thrive in the Premier League and would be an ideal addition to David Moyes’ West Ham United, former Hammers director Gianluca Nani tells Radio Firenze Viola.
In the end, Milenkovic’s World Cup campaign seemed to sum up Serbia’s as a whole. Moments of pure promise sandwiched by mistakes and malaise, and an eventual pang of regret.
Milenkovic was excellent in the 2-0 defeat to Brazil on matchday one. No one managed more tackles than him in the first round of games. In Serbia’s next two group-stage fixtures, however, the 6ft 5ins centre-back was part of a defence breached on five occasions; Milenkovic playing Cameroon onside for two of their goals during that thrilling 3-3 draw at the Al Janoub Stadium.
A hit-and-miss campaign has not stopped the rumours surrounding Milenkovic’s future from returning with a vengeance, however; Nani feeling that West Ham could do a lot worse than to jump-start their interest in a player who came within touching distance of a claret-and-blue kit in 2021.
Will West Ham United target Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic again?
“He has all the characteristics to play in England. (Milenkovic has the) perfect physical characteristics for West Ham,” says Nani, who spent two years working behind the scenes at Upton Park from 2008 to 2010.
“I see him as excellent for the Hammers. They should look for him. I don’t know if it will happen in January.”
Given that Milenkovic has a contract at Fiorentina until 2027, we’re going to go ahead and file this one under ‘unlikely’, even if West Ham do appear to be in the market for defensive reinforcements. Sao Paulo starlet Luziao is expected to join on a free transfer in January amid doubts over the long-term future of Craig Dawson.
Fiorentina, meanwhile, reportedly value Milenkovic at around £17 million these days (Sky Italia). West Ham made a series of bids for the one-time Partizan Belgrade starlet in 2020, before coming even closer to securing Milenkovic’s signature about 12 months later down the line.
“It was really done; Nikola Milenkovic to West Ham,” Fabrizio Romano explained at the time. “They decided to sign Kurt Zouma weeks later, but they were more than close to Nikola Milenkovic.
“It was at the final stages. West Ham wanted him, and they had an agreement in place with Fiorentina. It was about the contract of the player and final details. It was about personal terms with Milenkovic and with his agent, and then the deal collapsed.”
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