Fulham are interested in signing Napoli defender Nikola Maksimovic, with Il Mattino reporting that the Serbia international is free to leave for £9 million.
Of course, with Gennaro Gattuso’s side fighting to secure a return to the Champions League this season, the Partenopei would prefer to keep hold of their commanding 29-year-old centre-back.
Especially when you consider that Maksimovic has started six of the last seven Serie A games.
But, with his contract expiring in July, Napoli’s hands are tied.
The 2020 Coppa Italia champions have refused to meet Maksimovic’s demands of a new £35,000-a-week deal and this has opened the door for a number of Premier League clubs (Gazzetta dello Sport).
Fulham are the latest club to express an interest, joining Jurgen Klopp’s injury-hit Liverpool and a West Ham United side who failed with a £14 million bid for Maksimovic over the summer (talkSPORT).
The former Torino and Red Star Belgrade stopper is now available for a reduced fee of £9 million.
Carlo Ancelotti described Maksimovic as an ‘excellent defender‘ during their time together at Napoli.
In truth, most of Fulham’s problems lie at the other end of the pitch. With Joachim Andersen and Tosin Adarabioyo forging a fine partnership at the heart of Scott Parker’s defence, maybe the Cottagers would be better served spending that £9 million on a new striker.
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