Fiorentina previously valued Nikola Milenkovic at £40 million but will soon be forced to accept a much lower fee for the reported Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United target, according to Calciomercato.
While the Serbia international was non-committal when asked about his future last week, actions speak louder than words.
And the fact Milenkovic still hasn’t extended a contract that expires in 2022 seems to suggest he plans to exit a Fiorentina side sitting closer to the relegation zone than the Champions League places.
Tottenham are watching closely, making their interest known with an approach to Milenkovic’s agent (La Nazione).
Standing at 6ft 5in, the so-called ‘new Nemanja Vidic’ is a major threat in both penalty areas. In fact, few defenders across the whole of Europe can match his tally of ten league goals since the start of 2018/19.
And, with his contract running down, Fiorentina’s hands are tied.
Sporting director Daniele Prade has already admitted Milenkovic will be sold in 2021 if he refuses to sign an extension, with La Viola desperate to avoid losing one of their prized assets for free.
Milenkovic’s market value has already depreciated substantially during the past few months – even if he’s still a year and a half away from free agency.
Calciomercato claims Fiorentina wanted £40 million last summer when Juventus came calling, trying in vain to land the giant centre-back in a double deal involving Federico Chiesa.
With only a year left on his contract, Fiorentina know, deep down, they will have little choice but to accept a vastly reduced offer when the window opens again in the summer.
La Nazione believes £23 million could do the trick.
West Ham were interested in bringing Milenkovic to England last summer (Alfredo Pedulla).
And, while Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson have forced a formidable partnership in recent weeks, Milenkovic still feels like an upgrade.
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