Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur target Nikola Milenkovic has reportedly rejected a potential move to Arsenal or Sevilla this summer. The Serbian centre-back wants to stay at Fiorentina and help them progress further.
His current contract with the Italian club expires in 2023, but he is likely to sign a new contract that will keep him at Fiorentina until 2026.
Milenkovic, 24, joined I Viola from Partizan in 2017 and has been a key player for them. He’s made 171 appearances in all competitions and also contributed 14 goals and one assist.
The Serbian garnered interest from Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Sevilla this season, but he is set to stay.
He is deemed by many as Fiorentina’s future captain. Milenkovic also wants to be in his best condition heading into the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year with Serbia. Hence, moving and settling into a new club and country is not something he is looking for this summer.
As per a previous report by Firenze Viola, the Italian side would have been open to selling him for £12.5 million if personal terms were agreed. However, with the Serbian happy where he is, it seems unlikely he’ll move this summer.
Jamie O’Hara predicts Arsenal, Tottenham, and Chelsea’s Premier League positions this season
Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O’Hara has backed Spurs and Arsenal to finish above Chelsea in the Premier League this season.
He told Football Daily:
“I mean, Manchester City are going to run away with it this season, I think. Liverpool second. Spurs are going to finish third, and Arsenal are going to finish fourth. Chelsea are out of top four and going to finish fifth.”
Thomas Tuchel’s side finished third last season, three points above Tottenham in fourth and five points above the Gunners in fifth.
Chelsea have signed Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Gabriel Slonina, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Marc Cucurella. However, they’ve also lost some key players like Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, and Romelu Lukaku. They are also set to lose Timo Werner and Marcos Alonso this summer (via MARCA).
Whereas, Arsenal have strengthened their side, making five signings this summer. They’ve signed Marquinhos, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner, Gabriel Jesus, and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Alexandre Lacazette was one of the key players to leave the club this summer after the expiration of his contract.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have made six signings this summer. They’ve brought in Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, and Djed Spence. Steven Bergwijn left the club to join Ajax, while Joe Rodon joined Rennes on loan.
It will be interesting to see where the three London rivals finish in the Premier League table at the end of the season.
