A report claims Chelsea and Tottenham could go after Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar, although they will have to beat Paris Saint-Germain to capture him.
Skriniar left his native Slovakia in January 2016 to join Sampdoria. He went on to play 38 games for the Italian outfit before Inter came calling for him a year and a half later.
Sampdoria made a big profit on the centre-back. As per transfermarkt, Inter spent £30.6million to take Skriniar to the San Siro. This was a £25.9m mark-up from his Sampdoria transfer.
The Slovakia international has since become a stalwart in the Inter first team. He has made 223 appearances for them in all competitions, helping the Nerazzurri to win several trophies as well. This includes the Serie A title, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana.
Skriniar’s Inter contract expires in June 2023, which is putting his future into doubt. Simone Inzaghi’s side would love to extend his terms, although they are yet to reach an agreement over a new deal.
PSG were heavily linked with Skriniar throughout the summer transfer window. According to French newspaper L’Equipe, PSG had two bids rejected for him.
These came in at £43.6m (€50m) and £47.9m (€55m). The reigning Ligue 1 champions also included a player in both of these proposals.
However, Inter held firm and told PSG they would only accept money for their player. They also let PSG know that more money would be required to agree a deal.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi then told his Inter counterparts he would wait and sign Skriniar on a free transfer, once his contract in Milan runs out.
However, this didn’t go down well with Inter and they took him off the transfer market straight away as a result.
Chelsea, Spurs looking into Milan Skriniar move
The centre-half’s future remains up in the air as Inter are yet to tie him down to extended terms. And according to FCInterNews, this could see Premier League clubs Chelsea and Tottenham get in the mix for his services.
Inter’s contract offer is £871k (€1m) below what Skriniar and his agents are expecting. He wants to earn the same as team-mate Marcelo Brozovic, which may put his future at the club in severe doubt.
Chelsea and Spurs are supposedly ‘keeping tabs on the situation’, which means they could swoop if he becomes available in January.
Chelsea made moves to improve their defence during the recent transfer window. Following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana arrived at Stamford Bridge.
But Blues chiefs intend to back new manager Graham Potter so he can help them catch up with Premier League title favourites Manchester City. As such, majority owner Todd Boehly could green light a move for Skriniar.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have strong options at the back. Antonio Conte’s preferred back three at the moment seems to be Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Ben Davies. The manager can also use Clement Lenglet, Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga in the centre of defence.
Due to this squad depth, it is more likely Chelsea will pursue Skriniar than their London rivals Spurs.
Meanwhile, AC Milan technical director Paolo Maldini has confirmed the club are pushing ahead with new contract talks with Rafael Leao, having come clean on Chelsea’s efforts to sign him.
