West Ham United have been given a potential boost in their pursuit of Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic.
David Moyes must not fall into dangerous West Ham transfer trap
West Ham have been linked with a move for the highly-rated centre-back as David Moyes desperately tries to add new faces before Monday’s transfer deadline.
According to a report from Gianluca Di Marzio, West Ham have made a £23 million bid for the Serbian international.
The Hammers have been linked with a plethora of central defenders but have thus far failed to land any of them.
West Ham linked with new prime target Milenkovic
And on the evidence of the defending in West Ham’s 4-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Everton, they need someone in desperately.
Gianluca Di Marzio claims that West Ham have identified Fiorentina’s Milenkovic as Moyes’s new prime target.
It is suggested that the east Londoners have bid €25 million (£23 million) for the 22-year-old, but La Viola want more.
West Ham look to have been given a boost, though, after the club’s president Patron Commisso spoke out publicly about Fiorentina’s financial struggles.
Like West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold, Commisso is pleading poverty due, in part, to the global health crisis.
And he told Corriere della Sera (as also reported by Football Italia) that the Italian club lacks the financial wherewithal to challenge the Serie A elite.
Club president pleading poverty will encourage West Ham
The Italian-American billionaire also wants to build a new stadium in Florence to help bridge that gap in the future.
But in the short-term the club needs to bring in money after making just £65m last season – less than half West Ham’s annual income.
One way to do that is to sell players. Several high profile Fiorentina names have been linked with exits including Milenkovic to West Ham.
“Fiorentina lack revenues to be at the top,” Commisso told Corriere della Sera, as also reported by Football Italia.
“In the last 20 minutes (of the recent 4-3 defeat to Inter Milan), Inter brought on five players who earn a total of almost €25m a year.
“That’s more than what the whole squad at Fiorentina.
“We commissioned Deloitte to study the economic impact of a new stadium in Florence. Inter are second on the list with €376m of revenues. Fiorentina are ninth with €94m. Of those €94m, €25m arrive from the sponsorship of Mediacom, which is my company.
“In practice, without sponsors, we get €69m.”
Hammers could end up with real bargain for ‘new Vidic’
West Ham will surely be encouraged by Commisso’s comments.
La Viola will be desperate to generate income and West Ham could end up getting a real bargain in Milenkovic if they play their cards right.
The powerful defender has been dubbed the new Nemanja Vidic in his homeland (ESPN).
And if Milenkovic is half a successful as Vidic was in England West Ham will be on to a winner.
The clock is ticking though and West Ham have just 5 days to make something happen on the transfer front before the window slams shut.
Insider delivers exciting West Ham transfer update with moves on the cards
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
