Man City plotting big move for Serie A ace: Wise choice by Pep Guardiola?

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.