Scout Report: What can West Ham fans expect from Nikola Milenkovic?

In a deal from Fiorentina, West Ham United is set to bring in their second senior signing this summer, the 23-year-old center-back Nikola Milenkovic. The Serbian made 32 appearances for La Viola last season, chipping in with three goals and an assist.

At 6’4, he is a towering presence in the defense. A player highly rated in Europe, attracting interest from Manchester United, Juventus, and Tottenham, what can West Ham fans expect from their new man?

Nikola Milenkovic joined Fiorentina from Partizan Belgrade in 2017 and has since gone on to make 133 appearances for the club. Despite his age, Milenkovic has a lot of experience in senior football, making his debut for Partizan in 2016 at 19.

West Ham United

He is an established Serbian international capable of playing right-back and his preferred position of center-back. The towering defender has a range of attributes that will greatly improve West Ham.

Having spent some time playing at fullback, Milenkovic is very comfortable on the ball. Fiorentina likes to play with a back three, with Nikola often starting as the right center-back. This allows him to use his pace and power to carry the ball up the field, effectively playing as an auxiliary wing-back in possession.

This is similar to how Moyes utilizes Cresswell in the left-center back position. However, the Serbian is more comfortable carrying the ball upfield and is less accomplished with his crossing. This does not mean that his passing is poor, however, and he often plays long cross-field balls to set his team on the attack.

FBRef is better than 90% of center-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive passing. By comparison, Ogbonna is better than 62%, though Diop and Dawson are only 15% and 10%, respectively. This will be a potent weapon in West Ham’s arsenal that our other defensive options lack.

Of course, being a center back, he will be required to defend – and he is more than capable of this, too. Milenkovic is an extremely aggressive and physical defender who likes to get tight to his man and use his large frame to overpower them and take the ball. For this reason, he receives so many cards (7 yellow cards last season and 2 reds). He may have to work on reducing this, but his aggression and physicality make him a nightmare for opponent attackers – and will surely endear him to supporters.

Furthermore, WhoScored lists concentration as one of the Serbian’s strengths, meaning he keeps his focus and doesn’t allow mistakes to sneak into his game. Another bonus is that he is very robust, rarely missing games through injury. He will bring youth, durability, and physicality to West Ham’s aging backline.

Milenkovic is dominant in the air and on the ground, succeeding in over 75% of his aerial and ground duels due to his large frame and pugnacious attitude. He is also a threat in the opposition box and has scored many headers in his career. One weakness in his game, however, is that he does not make as many interceptions as other defenders.

This will not worry David Moyes too much, though, as he likes his defenders to sit deep rather than play on the front foot. This is something that the Serbian is very comfortable with, as he excels at holding his position and cutting passing lanes. It is only when players get close to him that he aggressively pressures to win the ball. Taking Moyes’ preferred system into account, Nikola seems like the perfect addition.

Nikola Milenkovic is an exciting young prospect who possesses all the right qualities to succeed at West Ham and the Premier League. Fast, strong, tall, and tenacious, yet skilled on the ball and with a palpable attacking output; West Ham fans should be very excited if they can get this signing over the line.