Nikola Milenkovic: Tottenham battle Man United, AC Milan for defender
According to Italian publication Sport Mediaset (h/t Sempre Milan), Tottenham Hotspur are in the hunt for the signature of Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic, who is also wanted by Manchester United and AC Milan.
The 23-year-old Milenkovic has been with Fiorentina since 2017, having joined from Serbian outfit Partizan Belgrade. Over the past few seasons, the centre-back has gradually grown into one of the most promising young defenders in Serie A.
Milenkovic is set to enter the final year of his contract with the Viola at the end of the season and has no desire of extending his stay at Stadio Artemio Franchi. This has put a host of clubs on high alert, with the likes of Manchester United, Inter Milan and AC Milan all hopeful of signing him.
Along with them, Tottenham Hotspur are also in the hunt to capture the transfer of the Serbian international. Spurs’ backline has blown hot and cold over the course of the ongoing campaign.
Eric Dier hasn’t been good enough at centre-back while Davinson Sanchez, up until a recent few weeks, had been a liability as well. And with Toby Alderweireld not getting any younger, Jose Mourinho must look to bolster the defensive ranks in the summer transfer window.
Milenkovic, to that end, can be a viable target for Tottenham. As mentioned previously, the Serb is entering the final year of his deal with Fiorentina. As a result, he will be available for a fee of just around €30m, although that could drop further in the coming months.
More Tottenham Hotspur News:
- Graeme Souness: Tottenham Hotspur ace Harry Kane would thrive at Real Madrid or Barcelona
- Danny Mills thinks Jose Mourinho could strengthen Tottenham by signing 1-2 new defenders
- Tottenham Hotspur joined by Manchester United in transfer race for Burnley star Nick Pope
At 23, Milenkovic has his best years still ahead of him. At the same time, he has garnered quite a bit of experience at the highest level in Serie A. Given his reasonable price-tag, the Serbian has the potential to be a shrewd addition for Tottenham in the summer.
But with there being intense competition for his signing, things might get a bit tricky.
