Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham are among the clubs in contention to sign Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar.
According to a report from Gazzetta Dello Sport, Inter Milan are facing a battle to keep hold of Milan Skriniar. The defender is facing an uncertain future at Giuseppe Meazza, with his current deal expiring at the end of next season. It has put several clubs on red alert, including teams from the Premier League.
The list is led by Manchester United and Tottenham while Chelsea have entered the fray as well, hoping to sign the defender on a cut-price deal at the end of the season. Inter Milan will certainly have to sanction the sale of the Slovakian international in the summer if they fail to agree to new terms with the defender.
After handing Nicolo Barella a lucrative contract back in November of last year, Inter Milan are planning similar terms for Skriniar. They consider the 25-year-old a defensive leader, with the Slovakian having enjoyed immense success since his move from Sampdoria.
Skriniar has already featured in over 200 competitive appearances for Inter Milan. His defensive partnership alongside Stefan de Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni has been critical behind the club’s success in recent years, including the Scudetto-winning campaign last term.
But the highly revered defensive trio could break apart in the summer. Bastoni, for one, has become a transfer target for Manchester City while de Vrij has his fair share of his suitors. Reports suggest Skriniar could be on the move too, amid interest from Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Tottenham, in particular, have been serious about a move for the Slovakian international, with coach Antonio Conte reportedly keen on a reunion with his former defensive stalwart. Conte rates the Inter Milan defender highly and is willing to make him a first-choice defender at Spurs next season, alongside Cristian Romero.
Manchester United, too, are in the market for a new centre-back. The Red Devils are anticipating the sale of Phil Jones and Eric Bailly in the summer, with the latter being linked with a move to Olympique Lyon recently.
Chelsea’s interest in Skriniar stems from the potential sale of defensive trifecta Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta. It will leave a massive void in the club’s defensive unit, thus forcing Thomas Tuchel to target multiple top-class centre-backs in the market.
The Blues believe Milan Skriniar has what it takes to help the club recover and serve as a defensive leader alongside Thiago Silva next season. And with Manchester United, and Tottenham also in the contest, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Inter Milan star this summer.
