In a recent report, Calciomercato mentioned that West Ham United are making a January push to land Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic. It is understood that the Hammers want to acquire the services of the Serbian centre-back but the Italian giants are unwilling to let him go during this winter transfer window.
Milenkovic’s Impressive Run Of Form At The Stadio Artemio Franchi
Milenkovic has made a decent start to this campaign after producing a series of dominant displays at the heart of the Fiorentina defence. The ex-Partizan talent has participated in 12 matches for the Florence-based outfit this season, netting one goal across all fronts.
The Serbian defensive ace has been a rock at the back in Italian football as he is averaging 1.9 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 3.1 clearances per 90 minutes in Serie A. He has even been accurate with his ball distribution as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 90.2% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
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Is Milenkovic The Right Fit For The Hammers?
Milenkovic can use his strong 1.95m frame to dominate the opposition attackers in the air on the defensive end of the field. He is also a potent goal-threat from in indirect set-pieces because of his size and strength.
More importantly, the Serbian powerhouse can get stuck in with a few crunching tackles to earn the ball back for his team. He also doesn’t hesitate to clear his lines when needed but is also proficient at playing his way out from the back.
A centre-back of Milenkovic’s skillset will undoubtedly enhance the quality of David Moyes‘ defence this winter. The Hammers are currently in need of a fresh face in defence following Angelo Ogbonna’s serious injury recently.
Milenkovic will be a good fit as he would definitely offer some healthy competition for Kurt Zouma, Issa Diop and Craig Dawson at the London Stadium. At 24, the Serbian is only going to improve himself in the coming seasons which makes him a worthy target for Moyes to pursue in January. Hence, the West Ham boss should consider stepping up his efforts by making a convincing offer to Fiorentina so that they can strike a deal for Milenkovic during this winter transfer period.
