Tottenham Hotspur are the latest club to join the race to sign Inter Milan central defender Milan Skriniar, as per reports.
The Slovakian international has been in good form for the Italian club over the last two years, which has resulted in interest from various clubs across Europe.
As per Tutto Sport, Premier League side Tottenham are interested in signing Skriniar. The report states that Spurs could sign Skriniar, with midfielder Tanguy Ndombele going in the other direction to Inter.
Inter may be willing to sell Skriniar, as manager Antonio Conte put the defender on the bench for the last few games towards the end of the season. If Conte leaves, Skriniar could stay, as per the report.
Skriniar has been with Inter since 2017, having joined from Sampdoria for €20 million. He has three years remaining on his current deal at Inter.
Milan Skriniar to Tottenham – A smashing move by Mourinho?
Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho indicated that the club may not sign too many players ahead of the 2020-21 season. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Spurs hard, and we may see the Premier League side sign players on loan, or bring in players on swap deals.
The deal to sell Ndombele to Inter and bring in Skriniar makes sense for Spurs and Mourinho. There is a big chance that Ndombele will leave the club, after falling out of favour with Mourinho.
Signing Skriniar would be a very good move for Spurs. The Slovakian is a strong, powerful and quick defender, who would get into most defences in the Premier League.
The Slovakian is a tenacious defender who likes to get stuck in, and puts all the emphasis on defending first, before trying to build attacks from the back. He is the quintessential Mourinho type defender, who would thrive in the Spurs backline.
The north London side need a leader at the back, which Skriniar certainly is. Jan Vertonghen has left the club, Juan Foyth’s future is unclear, Japhet Tanganga is still inexperienced, so Spurs have just two, first-team centre-backs – Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld.
Mourinho has also played Eric Dier at the back, but it’s quite clear that the Englishman’s natural position is that of a defensive midfielder.
Signing Skriniar would be a smart move by Mourinho and Spurs, and one that could make them stronger defensively. However, it remains to be seen how much Spurs are willing to pay for the centre-back.