In a recent print edition, Corriere Fiorentino claimed that West Ham United have set their sights on Fiorentina centre-back Nikola Milenkovic. It is believed that the Hammers could face competition from Inter Milan in pursuit of the Serbian defensive ace.
Milenkovic’s Impressive Form In Italian Football
Milenkovic is having a solid campaign in Italian football as he has put in a handful of impressive performances at the heart of Fiorentina’s defence. The 24-year-old has made 30 appearances for the Italian outfit this season, finding the back of the net on three occasions in all competitions.
The Belgrad-born talent has performed well to average 1.6 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 3.1 clearances per game in Serie A. He has even been accurate when interchanging possession from the back after completing 90.2% of his attempted passes in the Italian first division (stats via whoscored).
The 4th Official uses images provided by the following image agency:
Getty Images (https://www.gettyimages.de/)
Imago Images (https://www.imago-images.de/)
What Will Milenkovic Bring To West Ham United?
Milenkovic is a solid tackler of the ball and can time his challenges well to secure the ball back for his side on the defensive end of the field. He usually clears the danger when needed but can use his strong 1.95m frame to dominate the opposition attackers in the air. The Serbian sensation is even proficient at playing his way out from the back. He is primarily a central defender but is versatile enough to fill in as a right-back if required.
Thus, the Hammers should think about signing Milenkovic in the summer as he will enhance the overall quality of their first XI. At 24, the Serbian powerhouse has his best years ahead of him, so he will be a great fit for West Ham at the end of this campaign as long as the player can make a smooth transition to life in English football. However, there are some concerns over whether he would be able to cope with the high intensity of the Premier League.
We can expect Milenkovic to bring a lot of bite and steel to David Moyes‘ defence and increase competition for places within his match-day squad. Therefore, the East London giants should think about orchestrating a move to bring Milenkovic to the English capital when the transfer window commences later this year.
