Why Tottenham must make a move for Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic

Back in October 2018, the Daily Mirror had claimed that Tottenham were interested in signing Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic, but no deal materialised that summer.

Nikola Milenkovic, 22, moved to Fiorentina from Partizan Belgrade in 2017 for just £4m and has impressed since then with his displays in defence. He has made 83 appearances across all competitions for the Italian outfit, scoring six goals so far. The Serbian has performed well for Fiorentina with three goals in 28 appearances this campaign till date.

With Milenkovic enjoying another solid campaign in Serie A football, Tottenham must rekindle their interest in the defender when the summer window starts.

Spurs drew 1-1 with Norwich City and then lost on penalties in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday night. It comes amid a bad run for Jose Mourinho, who took charge of the club this season.

The north London club crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of the Premier League’s basement side, and it follows a period in which they’ve lost to Wolves and seen their hopes of Champions League qualification fade.

Tottenham have royally struggled at the back this season. Centre-backs Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Davinson Sanchez haven’t been stable and their performance has dipped by a large margin this term.

Vertonghen, who has entered the final few months of his contract, has looked off the pace and struggled in the FA Cup’s fourth-round replay against Southampton. He was replaced after less than an hour by manager Mourinho and appeared dejected as he trudged back to the bench.

Age seems to have caught up with the Belgian, while his compatriot Alderweireld hasn’t lived up to his usual standards either this term. With a lack of quality and depth in the defensive unit, Mourinho should look to bring in defenders to add depth to the squad in the summer. And signing Nikola Milenkovic would be wise.

Milenkovic had a slow start to the 2019/20 season for Fiorentina, having made his first league appearance only in December. He is now on a good run of form despite the club being 10 points away from the Europa League qualification spot.

His performances have been consistent, with three goals to his name as of now. Standing at 6ft 5in, the Serb has been a major asset in both the boxes, with three goals from set-pieces justifying that.

The 22-year-old is a versatile defender who is equally adept at centre-back and right-back. Talented and with plenty of room for improvement in the years to come, Milenkovic has shown his ability to perform in Serie A and would be a valuable asset to the team if he is able to replicate the same form he showed at the Florence-based outfit.

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His massive potential means the 22-year-old could well prove to be a smart long-term investment for Spurs, who have shipped 39 goals in the league so far.

Verdict

Hence, Mourinho must look to sign Milenkovic in the summer and bolster their defensive unit ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.