Barcelona look set to rival Manchester United in the race to sign Fiorentina and Serbia defender Nikola Milenkovic this summer.
According to Don Balon, Barcelona are now set to turn their attentions to Milenkovic after accepting defeat in the race to sign Matthijs De Ligt, who they say is closing in on a move to Juventus.
And it seems like the Blaugrana are going to have to fend off competition from Man United if they are to sign the defender, as Gianluca Di Marzio have stated recently that the Red Devils have made an enquiry for the player, who Fiorentina wanted €50M for back in January.
The Metro state that Fiorentina are likely going to ask for a similar amount for Milenkovic this time round as well, a fee that Barca and United can most likely afford.
Barcelona don’t really need any more options at centre back, as Ernesto Valverde already has the likes of Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti, Gerard Pique and Jean-Claire Todibo to pick from.
However, given the fact that Pique is fast approaching the twilight years of his career, it won’t be long before the club have to dip into the transfer market to buy a replacement for the Spaniard.
Therefore, it seems like a wise move to try and bring in one now instead of when Pique does actually hang up his boots.
Milenkovic has already managed to establish himself as a first team regular at Fiorentina despite being just 21 years old, as the Serb managed to make 34 league appearances for the club last year, as he helped them avoid relegation from Serie A.
And it looks like Milenkovic could go from a relegation battle to a title challenge in just the space of a few months if this report is anything to go off.
