According to a recent report by The Daily Express, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola’s dream defensive signing has been revealed by renowned Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol. The report suggests that the Citizens have identified Inter Milan centre-half Milan Skriniar as their main target at the back, and even went on to claim that a deal would more likely take complete shape over the summer.
The reporter further suggested that the City manager is a big fan of the Slovakian’s talents and that it would be Guardiola’s ‘dream signing’. He went on to say that the Citizens are unlikely to be able to cough up the kind of money that Inter are sure to demand for their star man. It was claimed in the report that the Citizens are unlikely to move for Nathan Ake in January as well.
Why Are Manchester City Targeting Centre-Halves?
Saying that central defence has been Manchester City’s biggest problem area this season wouldn’t be overly far-fetched, and that does eventually come down to a couple of reasons. The departure of veteran Belgian stalwart Vincent Kompany came as a gutting blow to Pep’s team, and finding a replacement for him is something they have struggled to do so far.
Moreover, the one top quality defender they did have in Aymeric Laporte picked up an unfortunate injury last year and is still on the road to recovery. In the absence of natural options for the role, the gaffer has even resorted to playing the likes of Fernandinho and Rodri out of position. If there’s one reason Manchester City aren’t hitting the same heights that they did last season, then it’s their inability to find a commander at the back.
Why Manchester City Must Move In For Milan Skriniar
The Slovakian international is undoubtedly one of the best centre-halves in world football at the moment and is sure to be seen as a hot property at many of Europe’s biggest clubs. The youngster is experienced enough to defend the box with conviction but also has the energy and dynamism that is required in modern European football. An immovable defensive rock at Inter Milan, the impact he’s had on the side has been visible in some of their performances this season.
The 24-year-old came through the MSK Zilina academy, before being drafted into the Serie A by Sampdoria. He’s now a veteran of over a 100 fixtures for the Italian giants and continues to be one of the most dominant forces in the entire league. The youngster uses his physicality superbly in the defensive third and tends to win most of the headers that he goes in for as well. Athletic and deceptively quick, the Slovakian would be an excellent option for a club like Manchester City to target, and given their current situation, moving for Skriniar would be a no-brainer.
