Nikola Milenkovic has proved to be an excellent signing for Nottingham Forest.
The Serbian arrived at the club from Fiorentina in the summer transfer window for around €12m. He’s played 19 times in the Premier League, starting every single time and has been a key factor in their rise to third in the table.
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has now spoken to Gazzetta dello Sport about the 27-year-old, why he was signed and his impact at the City Ground.
When speaking about Milenkovic, Marinakis referred to the UEFA Conference League final last season, when his other club Olympiakos took on Fiorentina.
He said: “El Kaabi’s goal in extra time was a liberation and saved us from suffering in the penalty shootout.
“I had already suffered enough at the start of the match, in the moments when Milenkovic had scored the 1-0 goal that was disallowed for offside.”
When asked about whether it was the final that convinced Nottingham Forest to sign the defender, the club owner revealed that he was being monitored for a while.
“We’ve been following him for a long time and it was a really good deal because he’s playing great. Last season we conceded a few too many goals and we saved ourselves in the final days, while now…”
It is quite clear that Marinakis is proud of Milenkovic and how he’s playing this season.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have conceded only 19 goals so far in the Premier League and that is the second lowest number in the division.
The club’s goal should be to keep going in the same manner and Milenkovic’s performances will be vital to that.
