Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have reached out to Nikola Milenkovic’s agents ahead of a potential summer swoop for the Fiorentina defender, as reported by Calciomercato.
You might have heard that Liverpool have had a few injuries this season.
But while a freak run of fitness problems has contributed massively to a dreadful title defence, reinforcements may be required even when the club’s big hitters are ready to return.
Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies feel like little more than short-term solutions, while Joel Matip is about as brittle as a Poundland wine glass.
So Liverpool fans will be thrilled to learn that, during the last three seasons, Milenkovic has missed just seven Serie A matches, featuring in 24 of Fiorentina’s 26 league games in 2020/21.
The Serbia international has managed to retain fitness and form amid ongoing doubts about his short-term future at the Stadio Artemio Franchi – and that will be music to the ears of Jurgen Klopp.
Milenkovic is reluctant to extend a contract that expires in 2022, with Calciomeracto claiming that his market value has dropped from £35 million to £25 million in a matter of months.
Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United have all reportedly expressed their interest, holding talks with Milenkovic’s entourage.
What’s more, Fiorentina are almost certain to sell in the upcoming transfer window. Unless, of course, Milenkovic performs a sudden U-turn and decides to stay at one of Italian football’s perennial underachievers.
“We will try to renew Milenkovic’s contract, and if he doesn’t accept, we will sell him next year,” Fiorentina’s sporting director Daniele Prade admitted a few months ago.
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