REDS FOILED IN BID TO NIK MILENKOVIC
WIGAN are fighting to keep star striker Will Grigg out of the hands of Sunderland.
The Black Cats want the Northern Ireland forward to spearhead their promotion push in League One.
But Championship Latics are fighting a battle against relegation and do not want to sell the 27-year-old (above).
Sunderland believe Grigg would be open to a move to the Stadium of Light and are refusing to go away.
Black Cats chairman Stewart Donald was asked about his club’s interest in Grigg on Twitter and replied with three winking emojis.
He later admitted the Wearsiders are in the market for a frontman and hoped to do some business this month. Grigg has four goals this term and got the winner when Wigan beat Manchester City in the FA Cup last season. MANCHESTER UNITED have been told to forget about signing Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic this month.
The Reds planned a raid on the Serie A side for the £50million-rated defender and were hoping to tempt them into doing business by offering Andreas Pereira (above) in a player-plus-cash deal.
But the Italians shut the door on their hopes of landing the Serbia international – at least until the summer.
A Fiorentina source said: ”Nikola won’t move in January, he will see the season out at the Artemio Franchi and then, if he does leave, he is likely to command a very high fee of around £50m.” United are on the lookout for a new right-back with Ashley Young, 33, at the veteran stage, and skipper Antonio Valencia being linked with a move to Inter Milan.
The 21-year-old Milenkovic (right) was the Reds’ top target because he can play either fullback or in central defence.
He joined Fiorentina from Partizan Belgrade in July 2017 for £4.59m and has three years left on his deal. is under contract at Molineux until 2021, but has been one of promoted Wanderers’ star men in the Premier League this term. Doherty (left), 26, has three goals and four Italian club Fiorentina won’t let Milenkovic leave during the January transfer window assists to help Wolves into the top 10 and is in talks for a new deal to at least double his wages.
Spurs are monitoring developments, but Doherty is understood to be in no rush to leave and is likely to extend his stay. FRANCE World Cup winner Benjamin Pavard will join Bayern Munich in the summer after agreeing a five-year deal with the Bundesliga champions.
The Stuttgart defender (above), 22, scored what was voted as the goal of the tournament at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
He joined Stuttgart from Lille in 2016 and has been a centre-back and right-back for both club and country. DUNFERMLINE have “parted company” with boss Allan Johnston.
The former Queen of the South and Kilmarnock manager (above) was appointed to the East End Park job in 2015.
Johnston guided Pars back to the Championship in his first season, where the Fife club are now seventh.