Inter Milan have a few great players in the squad at this moment, and clubs across Europe are looking forward to bringing them to their team. While we have all talked about Lautaro Martínez for the longest time possible, another hidden gem in the squad is Milan Skriniar.
The defender is a target for clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona and both sides of Manchester. However, according to Calciomercato, the Italian club would not consider selling the player unless they get an offer in the region of €60 to €70 million.
The current situation of the defence at Manchester City
Liverpool may have done wonders this term to run away with the title, but many would be of the opinion that the other clubs should also be blamed for letting them emerge victorious in this fashion. If the attention is given to City’s inability to challenge for the trophy this season, the blame would undoubtedly be on their defence.
While at the left-back, Mendy has been out with an injury and Zinchenko made to step into his shoes, their centre-back situation is far more problematic. Aymeric Laporte has been out with a knee injury for a very long time, and the French player has featured in only seven league matches. John Stones has also fallen victim to multiple injuries this season and even put up sub-standard performances whenever selected. That has left Nicolás Otamendi as the only defender who had been available for selection throughout the season, though the performance of the Argentine has been below par as well.
Throughout the entire length of the season, Fernandinho has been asked to cover for these injured players and the Brazilian’s versatility has been the only saving grace for Pep Guardiola. In this situation, the Spanish manager certainly needs more than one centre-back cover going into the next season and getting Skriniar on board would be a good start.
What would he add at Etihad?
The Slovak player has been having the best season of his life playing for the Serie A side with 24 league appearances this term. The greatest asset of Skriniar is his ability to get his body on the line, thereby using his physicality to the greatest extent. This has let him make 1.2 tackles per game this season in the league.
Playing for a Guardiola side means that one has to be adept at his passing, and in that respect, it can be said that the Slovakia international has completed 92.3% of his total passes this term. Also, the fact that he likes to play short passes among his teammates would excite the ex-Barcelona manager. He has shown time and again that his ball distribution is extremely neat, thus assisting Milan in their buildup play.
The 25-year-old cannot be called very effective in the air, a key component for defenders to have in the Premier League. However, the manager would like to believe that he remains equally effective against sides who tend to play numerous crosses and long balls throughout the length of the game.
Overall, we can safely say that Milan Skriniar would be a great addition to the squad and could continue to man the City defence for a very long time. However, whether the club shells out such a massive sum amid the economic crisis, is another subject though.
Stats from Whoscored.
