Premier League champions Manchester City are reportedly interested in buying Inter Milan central defender Milan Skriniar in the January transfer window.
According to Calciomercato, manager Pep Guardiola could make a bid for the 24-year-old centre-back, who has been with the Italian giants since 2017. The Slovakian defender joined the club from Sampdoria for around €20 million and has become a very important player for them.
Skriniar signed a new deal with Inter earlier this year, which will now expire in 2023. The Slovakian international has played 86 games for Inter in his two seasons at the club making a steady progression turning into one of their leading lights in defence.
Milan Skriniar: A top option for Guardiola?
Manchester City lost a defensive stalwart at the end of last season as captain Vincent Kompany left the club to return to Belgium, but manager Pep Guardiola did not bring in a player to replace him. The English club have three first-team regular centre-back options – Nicolás Otamendi, John Stones, and Aymeric Laporte, but the knee injury to Laporte will see him on the sidelines for a long time, which has resulted in City searching for other options even though Fernandinho is someone who will be used by Pep in times of emergency.
Skriniar is a talented defender, who is a good tackler of the ball, while also being a decent passer from the back, which is a quality that Guardiola demands in his defenders or indeed any player who wants to excel in his team. The Slovakian averaged 1.8 tackles per game last season in Serie A while making 3.8 clearances per game as well. The central defender had an impressive 92.6% pass success rate last season, while also averaging 68.6 passes a game.
Skriniar is a player who fits the bill in what Guardiola likes in defenders – a great passer, who is quick to intercept the ball, while also being a good tackler. The Inter defender is also capable of playing as a defensive midfielder, if need be thus showing his versatility, another trait much appreciated by the Catalan genius.
Guardiola desperately needs another defender, especially a leader at the back following the exit of Kompany. Skriniar can fill that role as well, as he has shown that he can lead the backline and is a vocal defender. Signing Skriniar will not just be a stop-gap option but also an acquisition for the future with Otamendi already in his 30s and City notoriously unlucky when it comes to injuries to defenders.