Contact made: Liverpool and Man United talk to reps of £30m-rated defender with heated rivals in early stages of transfer battle

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According to SportWitness via Max Bielefeld of Sky Sports, officials representing Liverpool and Manchester United have been in contact with the representatives of Nikola Milenkovic over a transfer.

With the 23-year-old seemingly uninterested in penning a new deal with Fiorentina, the fact that the ace’s contract expires at the end of the 2021/22 season, leaves a summer exit a likely possibility.

Considering there’s no indication that a new contract is close, Fiorentina would be wise to sell the young star this summer, in an effort to avoid losing the ace on a free in the summer of 2022.

According to the Express via Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, Milenkovic is destined for a transfer to the Premier League, with title favourites Manchester City also keen.

The Express add that Fiorentina will command a fee of around £30m for the Serbian stalwart, the kind of relatively manageable fee that could spark a real bidding war between top-flight giants.

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Milenkovic is impressing for both Fiorentina and Serbia.

Milenkovic left homeland powerhouses Partizan Belgrade for Fiorentina in the summer of 2017 and has established himself as one of the top young defenders around since.

The ace has been a starter since the 18/19 season, with Milenkovic now firmly settled at centre-back after being deployed as a 6ft4 anomaly at right-back for quite some time when he first arrived in Italy.

Milenkovic has already made 120 appearances for Fiorentina, using his presence to score 10 goals along the way, he’s also become a key player for the Serbian national team after impressing in Serie A.

With Liverpool suffering a nightmare of long-term injuries to an already short-staffed in defence this season, they will be eyeing centre-backs this summer.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United are also keen on bolstering in this key position, with it clear that someone else will need to partner the big-money Harry Maguire for the side to be successful.

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