Look, while we are as skeptical as they come at Sport Witness HQ, it gets to a point where there’s so much smoke that a fire has to be burning somewhere.
That was the case with Bruno Fernandes, and it’s a similar, although not as blazing, situation with Nikola Milenković and Manchester United’s interest in him.
Out of contract at Fiorentina in 2022, the centre-back doesn’t seem keen on renewing with the Serie A side, having apparently decided it’s time for a step up.
That has yet to come, but with the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool linked with him on a regular basis, that opportunity could be around the corner.
The price has always been quoted at somewhere around €35m, but Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday believe the final amount will be far less.
While last summer saw Fiorentina ‘put up a €40m wall’ around their star defender, the fact he’s refused to extend his deal has caused his price to ‘crumble’, with some within the Florence buildings ‘talking of a request of €25m’.
In fact, that figure ‘could maybe drop further come July’.
That’s great news for Manchester United, with some believing Milenković might not be at the level required for a move to Old Trafford, as the cheaper he is, the less of a gamble the centre-back ends up being.
If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were to buy him for €20m and it didn’t work out, so be it, but if he were closer to €40m and the player flopped, more eyebrows would be raised.
We’ll have to wait and see, but this could be heading in the right direction for Manchester United.
