According to the reports from Spanish publication El Desmarque as cited by Daily Star, Manchester City have stolen a march over Real Madrid to sign Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar. Manchester City are reportedly willing to pay £80m for the centre half. The defender has been linked with Manchester United and Real Madrid before.
It is being said that City are close to agreeing on a deal for the defender. It remains to be seen how much truth is there in the recent reports. We believe that a January move is unlikely to happen as Inter Milan wouldn’t surely want to lose their main defender midway through the season.
Pep Guardiola has mentioned numerous times that finding reinforcements in January is never easy. Some of his defensive issues are likely to be solved with the return of Aymeric Laporte. But the Citizens would need to invest in the summer to bolster their defence.
The likes of John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi haven’t covered themselves in glory with their recent performances. If Guardiola is ruthless enough, then we believe that both of them could be shown the door in the summer.
Will Skriniar be a good bet?
The Slovakian defender has made 27 appearances in all competitions this season. The 24-year-old moved to Inter Milan in 2017 and has made over 100 appearances for the Serie A heavyweights since then. Skriniar is known for his defensive awareness and aggressiveness.
The centre back also showcases impressive physical prowess, and he is often tough to outmuscle. The Premier League is demanding in terms of physicality, and often defenders from other leagues struggle to adapt to it. However, that is one of Skriniar’s strengths, and he should be able to cope with the fast, physical and aggressive nature of the Premier league. The defender is also capable of making crucial interceptions and tackles.
Skriniar’s weakness
One area where City might want the defender to improve is his ability to play out from the back. Skriniar is not bad with the ball at his feet, but he could certainly be better, and if City are paying £80m for him then they would want someone who could be really comfortable in playing out from the back.
Nevertheless, we believe that he would be a decent signing. The defender has his contract at the club until 2023 and isn’t expected to come in cheap. £80m might seem like a lot, but given the current market situation, City might have to pay that fee; otherwise, they risk losing him like they missed out on Harry Maguire in the summer earlier.
