Reports from the Sun suggests that Chelsea are going to line up a move for Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar in January. The Slovakian is said to be valued at £70m, and Manchester United are also supposed to be one of the interested parties in his signature.
It is believed that Maurizio Sarri is keen on bolstering his backline as he is currently unhappy with the situation at the club as he has an ageing defence to deal with currently. David Luiz so far has been a regular this season but he is already in the final year of his deal, and there are various reports that Andreas Christensen is currently unhappy playing second fiddle this season after he had broken through under Antonio Conte in the last campaign. Gary Cahill can also move in January with quite a few English clubs vying for his signature.
Skriniar has been a regular feature for Inter Milan this season at the back and is touted heavily in Italy. However, the Blues should think before splashing £70m on the 23-year-old defender. The defender is considered as a successor to Martin Skrtel in his homeland Slovakia. Maybe Skriniar would follow a similar route and move to England soon with two heavyweight clubs vying for his signature.
The defender was recently involved in a controversy with the national team as he missed the night time curfew along with a few other players and the manager was not happy with it. One thing led to another, and Ján Kozák resigned soon after the incident. It was believed that he was unwilling to work with the squad under such conditions.
The 23-year-old is a strong tackler and is known to be an aggressive centre-half. He is dominant in the air but what makes him special is his ability on the ball. The centre-back can even fill out as a right back, and defensive midfielder and the Slovakian can carry out the ball from the back and also pick out a pass or two. That is one of the reasons why Sarri could be keen on him as he wants his defenders to be able to play from the back and carve open opposition defences. David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger not only work as a defender but as players who can start attacks. It seems like Sarri believes Christensen couldn’t do that kind of job and Cahill and Luiz are both past their prime.
It remains to be seen whether the Blues will pay such an amount. However, Sarri has shown that if he thinks the signing is right, he won’t hesitate in spending the big bucks as the Blues landed Kepa Arrizabalaga for £71m after Courtois’ departure.
