Arsenal transfer bid rejected but potential £9m boost still applies

Arsenal have seen a bid rejected for Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic, according to Firenze Viola.

The Gunners only defensive transfer this summer has been the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City, however the return of William Saliba from his loan spell in France has bolstered the backline.

The 21-year-old impressed in their first Premier League outing at the weekend and will provide competition for Ben White and Gabriel, so it comes as some surprise to see they are still looking to add another centre-back.

Milenkovic has been a regular in Fiorentina’s starting line-up since joining the club as a teenager - making 155 appearances in Serie A over five seasons.

The defender has also been a regular for Serbia’s national team, earning 37 caps since his debut at 19 years old.

Milenkovic’s form and reliability at the back has led to a number of clubs monitoring his situation and it is thought Sevilla have also seen a bid turned down by Fiorentina.

Meanwhile, West Ham, Inter Milan, Tottenham and other European clubs are also thought to be in the chase for his signature.

While it is unclear how much Arsenal’s first bid for Milenkovic was, reports claim that Fiorentina could sell the centre-back for as little as £12 million this summer in order to avoid losing him for free when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The North London club had previously been linked with the Serbian last year in a deal worth £21m - so his reported asking price this time round could prove to be an absolute steal.