Liverpool are being linked with a move for Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic by the reliable Gazzetta dello Sport (via the Express).
The Italian outlet claim both the Reds and Manchester United have touched base with the agent of the Serbia international over a potential summer transfer.
Milenkovic, said to be valued at around £25million, will see his current contract run out in the summer of 2022 and is ‘destined’ to move to the Premier League when he leaves Fiorentina, according to the same report.
Even though Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies were signed by Jurgen Klopp just last month, Liverpool looking to the market for another defender makes sense.
First and foremost, Kabak was signed on a short-term loan deal from Schalke and the Reds are not obliged to make the move permanent if they don’t see fit, while Davies is yet to make his debut despite a lack of options.
MORE: La Liga hotshot eager for Liverpool transfer; club wants deal competed – reports
Another point in favour of Milenkovic specifically is his versatility, as the centre-half is more than capable of filling in at right-back, having played there on 29 occasions for Fiorentina and Partizan Belgrade.
Klopp has made no secret of his appreciation for players who are able to fill more than one spot in his team, with James Milner, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson emblematic of this.
Joe Gomez’s days at right-back are firmly behind him, leaving young Neco Williams as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s direct back-up in the senior squad.
The 19-year-old, who nearly left Liverpool last month, is an exciting prospect to be sure, but has shown cracks in his relatively novice game, suggesting he can’t be relied upon to fill Trent’s boots if the Scouser picks up a nasty injury which leaves him on the side-lines for an extended period.
Although not the most ideal player to fill in at what is effectively wing-back at Anfield, Milenkovic has shown proficiency in the position before and would be a solid option, particularly in a defensive capacity.