Arsenal have reportedly had an offer for Nikola Milenkovic turned down by Serie A side Fiorentina, who are hoping to extend his contract until 2025.

According to Corriere dello Sport, relayed by sports witnessArsenal have seen an attempt to sign Nikola Milenkovic from Italian club Fiorentina rebuffed in the current transfer window.

Arsenal have done the bulk of their transfer business this summer, but manager Mikel Arteta seems keen to add one or two more players before the transfer window closes in three weeks. One of the positions the Arsenal boss could look to strengthen is the centre-back department.

Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes forged a stable partnership last season, while Arsenal have been bolstered by the return of William Saliba, who is back on loan from Marseille. The French centre-back put on a fine display in the Gunners’ Premier League opener against Crystal Palace last weekend.

However, there remains a lack of quality beyond the three centre-backs as Rob Holding has not proven to be a reliable performer, while Pablo Mari set to exit amid Serie A interest. So Arsenal could do with adding another centre-half to their roster before the window closes.

Stay at Fiorentina? (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

This apparently led them to Nikola Milenkovic, who, Interestingly, it’s also a target for Arsenal’s local rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The 24-year-old Serbia defender has entered the final year of his contract with Fiorentina and could be available at a bargain price, prompting Arsenal to make a bid to try and sign the Serbia international.

Although the report does not mention the value of the offer made by Arsenal, it does indicate that the Gunners had made a concrete offer but saw it rejected by Fiorentina. Apart from the North London club, clubs like Inter Milan, Sevilla and Juventus are also said to have made offers which were rejected by the Alto.

Having rejected the offers, Fiorentina are now hoping to tie Milenkovic down to a new contract which would extend his stay at the club until the summer of 2025. It will be interesting to see if Arsenal or any other interested club return with an upgrade. offer for the Serbian.