Manchester City could dip their toes in the January transfer window and make a big-money buy, in the form of Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar. The reigning Premier League champions have struggled at the back ever since Aymeric Laporte got injured, which along with the fact that Vincent Kompany exited in the summer, have made things pretty miserable for the backline.
As per Mirror Football, City are pursuing the signature of Milan Skriniar, while La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are also keen on signing the 24-year-old central defender. The Slovakian moved to Inter from Sampdoria in 2017 and has gone to become an important player for the Italian side. City will have to pay a big fee to sign him as he penned a new contract last year, which runs till 2023.
Skriniar has played over 100 times for Inter Milan in the last two and a half seasons, while also playing over 30 times for Slovakia.
Should Pep move for Milan Skriniar?
Manchester City are 14 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League, and a lot of the blame for City’s huge gap has been because of their poor defence. Pep Guardiola’s men have lost 5 games in the league this season, and their form has slumped in light of key injuries, most notably in the backline.
Guardiola has had to resort to playing Fernandinho in defence, which has robbed City of his experience in midfield, furthering their defensive issues. It’s quite obvious that the Manchester club need a quality central defender, one that will complement Laporte at the back, going ahead in the coming seasons as well.
Skriniar could very well be the player to change City’s fortunes as he is a defender that can tackle, make clearances, and add accountability and leadership to the City defence. The 24-year-old is also a strong passer of the ball from the back, which is a quality that Guardiola requires in all of his players, regardless of which position they play in.
The Slovakian is just 24 years of age and can be an important player for City for the next decade or so. He could be the true replacement to former captain Vincent Kompany, whose qualities are present in Skriniar as well.
But it has to be seen how any possible transfer will pan out given January is usually very difficult in getting deals over the line. The Sky Blues have been linked with a number of centre-backs, all young and possessing promising traits but Milan Skriniar is someone who will be high up on the list of any top club planning to secure their backline.