Juventus: Why replacing Demiral with Milenkovic might be a good move

Juventus have been linked to two young standouts on Fiorentina after signing yet another one of their stars in Federico Chiesa. The Chiesa move has worked wonders, and now the Bianconeri could sign striker Dusan Vlahovic or defensive player Nikola Milenkovic in the summer 2021 transfer window.

Between the two of them, Vlahovic is the more hyped player and could help Juve more, but Milenkovic is much easier to afford. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that if Merih Demiral leaves Juventus this summer so that he can obtain more minutes and so that Juve can recruit additional funds, the Bianconeri could sign the 23-year-old from Fiorentina as his replacement.

Nikola Milenkovic hasn’t made nearly as many headlines as the free-scoring Vlahovic, but he is quietly coming off a good season in Firenze. He scored three goals with one assist for the Viola, meaning he has the goal-scoring upside that Demiral brings to the table. And since Milenkovic can play at center back and defensive midfield, there’s additional versatility with the Serbian international.

Juventus may want someone better on the ball than Merih Demiral

Per WhoScored.com, Milenkovic averaged 1.4 tackles per game and 1.3 interceptions per game, and he was dribbled past just 0.4 times per match while recording 3.6 clearances per contest. Those are quality defensive numbers, and Milenkovic is significantly better on the ball in terms of his range of passing.

Demiral is a great defender, and he may be a better overall defender than Milenkovic, especially with his robustness in the tackle. The problem with Demiral is that his ball-playing ability is seen as below the standard Juventus have set over the years with Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.

The biggest factor that makes a Demiral for Milenkovic move sensible from Juve’s perspective is money, but that all depends on if Juve get the offer they anticipate for Demiral.

A talented center back who is also just 23, Demiral could be sold if Juventus can get 40 million euros for him. There are teams in the Premier League who could do that deal if they don’t land a favored target like Jules Kounde, Pau Torres, or Raphael Varane – or if those players are out of their price range.

So it’s possible the Bianconeri could sell Demiral for close to 40 million euros and then spend about half that amount on Milenkovic. And while Milenkovic may not be as strong of a defender, he may be a better fit for what Juve want in terms of versatility and offensive impact. Again, he is the same age as Demiral.

Far from just the transfer rumor mill spitting out fantasy scenarios, a Demiral sale followed by a Milenkovic purchase could make sense for Juventus. This is a subtle transfer storyline to track over the course of the summer.