After so far failing with a move for AC Milan starlet Alessio Romagnoli, Chelsea are now focusing their attention on €30m-rated Torino defender Nikola Maksimovic who is a summer target for West Ham, say Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Sport Witness).
According to reputable Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, West Ham have made contact with Maksimovic’s agent over a possible summer move.
The Hammers were first linked with the Serbian defender dubbed ‘the new Nemanja Vidic’ back in January but were unable to get a deal done with the Serie A side.
A four-year contract offer was put forward to Maksimovic’s representatives but the 24-year-old is tied down to a contract with Torino until the summer of 2020 and they value him at €30m.
Torino club president Urbano Cairo has confirmed that he rejected bid offers for Maksimovic last year and he can’t afford to lose his first-choice centre-back having already sold his defensive partner Kamil Glik to AS Monaco.
He has to stay with us, I didn’t sell him last year when I had big offers.
Torino signed the defender for just £2.1m in the summer of 2014 after an impressive loan spell from Serbian side Red Star and he’s gone on to become one of the best centre-backs in Serie A.
Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Napoli have all been linked with moves for the defender this summer who is widely tipped to leave Torino before the end of the summer transfer window.
