Real Madrid and Barcelona are reportedly set for a summer battle for Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar, agent Mithat Halis has claimed.
In an interview with AS, Mithat Halis, a partner at the Star & Friends agency which represents Milan Skriniar, has claimed that there are chances the 2018-19 season could the player’s final with Serie A side Inter Milan. Real Madrid and Barcelona are among the clubs interested in signing the 24-year-old in the summer, as per Halis.
Milan Skriniar has seen his stock skyrocket ever since he sealed a move from Sampdoria to Inter Milan in the summer of 2017. A mainstay at the back, the player has missed just three games since joining the Nerazzurri, having impressed with his tenacity and defensive abilities. And, his exploits seem to have alerted a number of top clubs.
Mithat Halis, a partner at the agency that represents Skriniar, has claimed in an interview with the AS that Real Madrid and Barcelona are among the clubs that are seeking to snap up the 24-year-old in the summer transfer window.
“Real Madrid want to sign him, so do Barcelona; whoever can convince Inter to let him go will sign him this summer. Skriniar is a model professional. If Real Madrid want him, they could get him but there are other agents who have a vested interest in taking players where they want.”
Halis also went on to add that a club that wants to sign Skriniar will probably have to shell out around €100 million to land him, “Inter paid Sampdoria €28 million for Skriniar and six months later, Manchester City came in with an offer of €55 million. Now he is valued at around €100 million. Any deal would certainly be complicated by the interference of intermediaries.”
The interest from Barcelona comes as a bit of a surprise, considering they already have three top class centre-backs in Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet, with Jean-Clair Todibo signed on a permanent deal in January as a long-term solution at the heart of the defence.
Pique’s performances this season also suggest that his succession plan could be held off for at least one more season. If Skriniar is indeed signed though, he undoubtedly has the potential to be a top class addition and a possible successor for Pique. Real Madrid, on the other hand, could have a point in their pursuit of the player.
At present, Los Blancos have Jesus Vallejo, Nacho and Javi Sanchez as backup options to Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane. But, Varane’s Real Madrid future has been shrouded in doubt as per recent reports, which have claimed that he could be seeking a new challenge in the summer.
Real Madrid have agreed a deal to sign Eder Militao in the summer. But, if Varane does leave, there is no denying the fact that they will be in need of a replacement, which Skriniar is more than capable of being. Barcelona though, will provide a tough fight to their bitter rivals in pursuit of the Serie A superstar.
Milan Skriniar seems to have rightly become a hot property in the transfer market, with Real Madrid and Barcelona keen on signing him. It now remains to be seen if his stint with Inter Milan comes to an end in the summer, or if the Slovakian international stays put at the Serie A club instead.
