West Ham must swoop for £75k-p/w monster who Moyes will love, he's "the new Vidic" - opinion

West Ham United have once again been linked with Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic, with the Irons reportedly having the sights set on securing a transfer this summer.

Italian outlet Corriere Fiorentino reported (via Sport Witness) that the 24-year-old previously had a contract which was set to expire this June, which duly alerted the east London outfit to push for a deal which ultimately didn’t happen.

Instead, the Serbian signed a one-year contract extension with the Serie A club, committing his services for the short-term future but having a gentleman’s agreement regarding the opportunity to leave the following summer.

West Ham are now back in contention to try and finally bring the defender to the London Stadium.

Previously dubbed ‘the new Vidic’, there has been plenty of hype surrounding one of Europe’s most exciting defenders over the last 18 months, but Fiorentina have so far been able to hold onto Milenkovic.

The £75k-per-week centre-back has made 25 appearances in the Italian top flight this term, with Fiorentina currently eighth in Serie A.

Having made the move to Florence from Partizan Belgrade in July 2017, the Serbian has made 163 appearances for La Viola but is yet to experience European football with the Italian outfit.

Adding a defender will likely be a priority for West Ham manager David Moyes, particularly if the east Londoners secure European football for another season.

Craig Dawson has established himself as the Scotsman’s first-choice, with the likes of Angelo Ogbonna, Kurt Zouma and Issa Diop battling to partner him in defence, but the former suffered an ACL injury in November.

If the Irons are to once again juggle four competitions next term, adding greater squad depth will be crucial. Moyes’