Napoli defender Nikola Maksimovic is demanding £45,000 a week amid claims the Serie A giants will sell the West Ham United target during the January transfer window, as reported by FCInterNews.
Arkadiusz Milik isn’t the only Napoli star who will become a free agent in the summer.
But while the Polish striker has been dumped from Gennaro Gattuso’s Europa League and Serie A squads after failing to secure a move away from the Stadio San Paolo before October’s transfer deadline, Maksimovic hasn’t suffered the same fate yet.
However, the Serbia international has featured in just one of Napoli’s five league games in 2020/21.
This is nothing new, though. Maksimovic has been the club’s third-choice centre-half since arriving from Spartak Moscow. Kalidou Koulibaly and Kostas Manolas are ahead of him in Gattuso’s pecking order.
But what does the future hold for the powerful 28-year-old?
talkSPORT claimed a few weeks ago that West Ham made a £14 million bid for Maksimovic and they may return for him in 2021. Watford loanee Craig Dawson hardly seems a long-term solution for David Moyes’ defence after all.
FCInterNews reports talks over a new contract are at a standstill.
Milenkovic, who is also a target for Inter and AC Milan, wants a four-year deal worth £45,000 a week plus bonuses. Napoli owner Aurelio de Laurentiis is unwilling to meet his demands at present, meaning a January departure looks inevitable.
Everton were also linked with a man who played his best football in Italy under Carlo Ancelotti but, with Ben Godfrey arriving from Norwich City, the Toffees appear to have enough defensive depth at their disposal (Calciomercato).
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