da betano casino： West Ham United must strive to revive David Moyes’ interest in SSC Napoli defender Nikola Maksimovic in the January window after seeing a £14million bid rejected this summer.
What’s the word?
da poker： According to FcInterNews, Napoli are struggling to secure Maksimovic’s long-term future as discussions over a new contract are failing to get off the ground.
The Serbian centre-half is set to become a free agent in 2021 with his current deal now in its final seven-months, but Aurelio De Laurentiis’ efforts to retain the 28-year-old have reached a stalemate as his best offer to date is still €800,000-a-year (£721.2k-a/y) behind Maksimovic’s request.
It is understood the 25-cap colossus is requesting a €2.5m-a-year, four-season deal (£43,360-per-week) plus bonuses, allowing for both AC and Inter Milan to continue monitoring Maksimovic’s situation after both San Siro sides put steps in place to sign him this summer.
AC submitted an undisclosed offer for the centre-back in September, while Inter approached his agent Fali Ramadani to gather more information on the full-time specialist and remain vigilant to any further developments.
West Ham also saw an approach turned down by De Laurentiis, with talkSPORT claiming the Irons tabled an opening £14m offer as Moyes was “hanging his hat” on bringing the former Red Star Belgrade defender to the London Stadium.
“Maksimovic is the man David Moyes now seems to be hanging his hat on,” Alex Crook told Jim White last month. “I know that Fulham have also been linked and I think this is West Ham trying to steal a march on another London club.
“He’s a real powerhouse defender – Serbian, 6 ft 4 – and he’s been compared to Nemanja Vidic, and he’s what West Ham need. There’s a good history of Serbian players coming over to the Premier League and doing well, so I think this would be a good signing for the Hammers.”
The new Vidic?
With Maksimovic and De Laurentiis still some way apart in discussions over a new contract, West Ham must again strive to steal a march on their potential rival suitors and land Moyes his specialist defensive target once the January window opens.
Napoli may be more forthcoming to offers close to what the Irons put forward this summer once the winter market takes off in fear of losing the 28-year-old for nothing in July, too, which only strengthens the case for the Hammers persisting with interest in a player once lauded as being a potential new Vidic.
Maksimovic may not yet have the same trophy haul as what his compatriot achieved with Manchester United, having only claimed one Italian Cup since joining Napoli, but has proven in Italy to be a powerful and imposing defensive rock.
In two starts from two in the Europa League this term, he has averaged six duels won a match with a 75% success rate thanks to winning 5.0 (77%) of his aerial contests, along with 1.0 tackles, 1.0 interceptions, 2.5 clearances, 66.0 accurate passes (96%), 79.5 touches and 1.0 key balls, per SofaScore.
Napoli boss Gennaro Gattuso has been less forthcoming with game time in the Serie A thus far with Maksimovic only making one outing to date, which came from the bench at half-time during a 6-0 rout of Genoa last month.
Any further delay in new terms being agreed, though, must see West Ham revive Moyes’ interest with the winter market now just 63 days away.
AND in other news, David Moyes’s transfer plans could unearth West Ham’s next Michail Antonio.