---
title: "Virals: West Ham ‘most interested’ in Nikola Milenkovic"
canonical: "https://readwestham.com/2021/06/04/virals-west-ham-most-interested-in-nikola-milenkovic/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Dan Clubbe"
section: "West Ham News"
published: "2021-06-04T08:00:00Z"
modified: "2021-06-04T08:00:00Z"
---

# Virals: West Ham ‘most interested’ in Nikola Milenkovic

[West Ham](https://readwestham.com/2021/06/03/virals-manuel-lanzini-reportedly-wants-river-plate-return/) are believed to be the ‘most interested’ party in a deal for commanding Fiorentina centre-back [Nikola Milenkovic](https://readwestham.com/2020/12/23/west-ham-could-revisit-deal-for-nikola-milenkovic/) this summer.

The Hammers face [competition](https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1433427/Manchester-United-transfer-news-Nikola-Milenkovic-Fiorentina) for the 23-year-old from AC Milan and Manchester United.

Irons’ boss David Moyes has long since been attempting to land a top-quality central defender, having [missed out on James Tarkowski](https://talksport.com/football/760981/james-tarkowski-west-ham-third-final-bid-burnley-rejected/#:~:text=West%20Ham%20have%20failed%20with,50m%20valuation%20for%20the%20defender.) last summer.

Now, according to a report from [La Nazione](https://www.fiorentina.it/nazione-milenkovic-fra-linghilterra-e-il-milan-ma-gattuso-ci-vuole-parlare/), via [Sport Witness](https://sportwitness.co.uk/west-ham-manchester-united-fighting-transfer-target-hammers-seen-interested/), and as cited by [West Ham Fan Zone](https://twitter.com/WHUFCFZ/status/1400532454511947784) on Twitter, the Scot may have turned attention to the Serbian defender.

> Twitter: West Ham and Manchester United are set to battle it out for Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic this summer.
>
> The… https://t.co/4IvXDClkTF (@WHUFCFZ)

In 2020/21, Milenkovic scored on [three occasions](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/nikola-milenkovic/leistungsdaten/spieler/413507) in 37 outings across all competitions – earning an average [Sofascore rating of 6.96](https://www.sofascore.com/player/nikola-milenkovic/836168) in Serie A.

[Compared](https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/transfer-news/nikola-milenkovic-profile-tottenham-transfer-19238746) to compatriot and [five times](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/nemanja-vidic-lrm-/erfolge/spieler/19726) Premier League winner Nemanja Vidic, Milenkovic has been capped [28 times](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/nikola-milenkovic/nationalmannschaft/spieler/413507/verein_id/3438) by Serbia.

### READ WEST HAM VERDICT

Under contract until 2022 and valued at £22.5milion ([Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/nikola-milenkovic/marktwertverlauf/spieler/413507)), this summer window may represent the final chance the Florence club have to land a reasonable fee for their star.

This an opportunity the Hammers shouldn’t pass up on, especially as Fabian Balbuena looks [set to leave](https://www.football.london/west-ham-united-fc/players/west-ham-fabian-balbuena-decision-20467781) east London and Frederik Alves remains short of first-team exposure.

Despite keeping Craig Dawson beyond his season-long loan spell, Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop’s [injury records](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/issa-diop/verletzungen/spieler/272622) don’t lend themselves to prolonged availability.