West Ham United could kill two birds with one stone by using Felipe Anderson to their advantage in a move for Nikola Milenkovic.
According to a new report from Sky Sports Italia and Football Italia last night, West Ham have bid £15.5m for the Serbian centre-back, who is out of contract next summer and has ‘no intention’ of signing a new deal.
Moyes wanted Milenkovic last year but Fiorentina’s valuation proved too costly.
West Ham ‘make £15.5m bid’ for Moyes target Milenkovic
The reports state the Hammers and Fiorentina are some £7-10m apart in their negotiations over the Milenkovic fee.
So West Ham should use the Tuscan side’s reported interest in outcast Anderson to their advantage.
The Hammers are desperately trying to offload Anderson this summer. And the Brazilian who cost West Ham £35m has been offered to Lazio for just £5.5m according to Calcio Mercato.
Hammers could use Fiorentina’s interest in outcast Anderson to clinch defender deal
And in January Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) claimed Fiorentina were very interested in the 28-year-old.
Anderson could be the perfect makeweight in a deal with La Viola. He may have limited transfer value given he too is in the last year of his contract. But it would bridge the valuation gap between the two clubs perfectly.
Offloading Anderson’s £80,000 per week wages would also be hugely beneficial.
West Ham have done some ridiculously bad business during the tenure of David Sullivan and David Gold.
Anderson as a makeweight kills two birds with one stone and would continue Moyes’s excellent transfer record
But recruitment has improved immeasurably since Moyes’s return to the club.
And using Anderson to clinch a deal for the brilliant 23-year-old Milenkovic – a player that could be West Ham’s defensive lynchpin for years to come – would be a masterstroke.
One of Moyes’s other priorities this summer is to get Jesse Lingard signed permanently.
And agents are reportedly now working on the ‘nuts and bolts’ of a deal.