Manchester United are reportedly the front-runners in the race to sign Milan Skriniar from Inter Milan in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by Italian outlet Calciomercato, Manchester United are leading the chase for Milan Skriniar. Inter Milan are open to the prospect of offloading the Slovakian defender in the summer transfer window, with Tottenham and PSG also keeping tabs on his situation.
Milan Skriniar joined Inter Milan from Sampdoria in the summer of 2017 and played a key role in the Nerazzurri’s return to the Champions League in his first couple of seasons with the club. The arrival of Antonio Conte at San Siro, though, has ended up being detrimental for his fortunes.
While initially one of the first-choice centre-backs, Skriniar fell down the pecking order as the season progressed, remaining on the bench in four of the last six games that Inter played last term. It now seems like the Nerazzurri are ready to cash in on the Slovak, especially with the signing of Marash Kumbulla depending on it. And, Manchester United are ready to pounce on his situation.
The Premier League heavyweights have been one of the most inactive clubs across Europe in the transfer market this summer, although they appear to be closer to clinching their first signing in the form of Donny van de Beek. The issues in defence, though, need to be addressed too.
Captain Harry Maguire bolstered the backline along with Aaron Wan-Bissaka last summer, even though he has been prone to making an error every now and then. Victor Lindelof, meanwhile, has blown hot and cold over the course of his Manchester United career.
Beyond Maguire and Lindelof, Solskjaer currently has five other centre-backs at his disposal, but none of the quintet has proven to be a reliable figure for the Manchester United boss. As a result, it is clear why United would want to delve into the market for a centre-back, with Benoit Badiashile another player who has been on their radar.
However, it now looks like Manchester United might be seriously considering a move for Skriniar, who is also being tailed by Tottenham and PSG. What does boost the Red Devils’ chances of swooping the 25-year-old away from Serie A giants Inter Milan is the fact that Conte deems him to be transferable.
The asking price has not been explicitly mentioned, but it is likely Inter will not demand anything near the €70 million valuation that was mentioned last summer. Having said that, with Skriniar’s contract at San Siro running through to June 2023, his transfer fee could still be a sizable amount.
It will now be interesting to see if Manchester United take concrete steps to get the signing of the Slovakian international over the line. What also remains to be seen is if Tottenham or PSG challenge United in Skriniar’s pursuit, with the player deemed surplus to requirements.
