Everton want to sign Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic
Everton are interested in Fiorentina and Serbia centre-back Nikola Milenkovic, according to Calcio Mercato.
They face a battle to land his signature however, with Tottenham and both Milan clubs interested in the 23-year-old.
West Ham and Manchester United have reportedly made contact with Milenkovic’s entourage too, so he is a player in high demand.
Man United have been interested in Milenkovic since late 2018, when Fiorentina were believed to want £50million for the defender [Daily Mail].
His value has since declined, possibly due to the fact he has just one year remaining on his contract – his club is now looking for €30million [£26million].
Vidic 2.0
Milenkovic is a young but established defender and we would love to see what he is capable of in an Everton shirt.
He has already earned rave reviews, with some comparisons made to former Man United defender Nemanja Vidic [ESPN].
Milenkovic has been praised for his all-round game, with former Partizan manager Ivan Tomic suggesting he has the “physical characteristics of a beast” [Mozzart Sport].
Tomic added, “He reads the game well, plays the ball, and should have a great career ahead of him.”
That could be why he has earned the label of being “the new Vidic”, via ESPN, the player Milenkovic idolised from an early age.
A return of 87% pass accuracy is evidence of the defender’s skill with the ball, while 3.1 aerial duels won per game [WhoScored] shows he can be dominant at times.
Carlo Ancelotti has spoken about not needing a new centre-back [Liverpool Echo] but if Milenkovic is available we would be silly not to make a move.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are in the hunt to sign an ex-Premier League forward who is valued at £9m.
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