Manchester United are in the hunt for a central defender. They have looked through various profiles of young centre-backs such as Ibrahima Konate, Jules Kounde, and Nikola Milenkovic.
Milenkovic, in particular, being looked at seriously, as his price tag and ability will fulfil both the Manchester United board and the manager’s interest.
The 23-year-old’s contract with Fiorentina runs until 2022, and although La Viola want to extend his stay, Manchester United are lurking around.
As per the Metro, Nikola Milenkovic will push for a move to Manchester United, and is expected to cost €30 million.
The player is waiting for an offer from Manchester United. If he fails to agree a new deal with Fiorentina, they will have to sell him this summer else risk losing him for free in 2021.
Harry Maguire is the number one centre-back at Manchester United. His partnership with Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly has worked well in patches. But they have not been consistent enough. Moreover, Bailly is an injury-prone player.
Nikola Milenkovic is a young centre-back being chased by many top clubs such as Liverpool, Inter Milan, and Juventus. Even though he is on the radar of several clubs, he has personally shown his interest to sign for Manchester United.
The weakness in Manchester United’s defence has forced Solskjaer to play two defensive midfielders against the top six teams. So signing another accomplished defender could finally permit Solskjaer to play a more attack-minded setup and challenge Manchester City next season.
The deal to sign Milenkovic will also make a lot of financial sense. Manchester United are building a young team for the future, and Milenkovic at €30 million would be a lot of value for money.
The 23-year old is a good passer of the ball, and will help Manchester United in building up from the back. Considering how solid a player he is while contesting for aerial duels (3.6 aerial duels won per game), he is unlikely to struggle against the physicality of the Premier League.
Maguire has often been criticised for his lack of pace, and he perhaps needs someone quicker alongside him. Milenkovic isn’t the quickest players, but he is certainly faster than Maguire.
Despite being only 23, Nikola Milenkovic has put in performances that have belied his age. He definitely would be a good signing for Manchester United.
Stats via Whoscored
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