Man City are reportedly still eager to land Milan Skriniar’s signature but key issues are said to likely stand in the way of Pep Guardiola securing the Inter defender.
The 25-year-old joined the Nerazzurri in 2017 and has gone on to feature over 100 times for the club as he has established himself as a key figure in their backline.
SEE MORE: Man City push for player swap deal in bid to land €45m-rated Barcelona ace
While the wait for trophies has continued, Inter have cemented their place back in the top four in Serie A and have returned to the Champions League, while they have pushed rivals Juventus in the Scudetto scrap this year too.
Skriniar has been an important part of that progression, but as noted by Calciomercato, he is still a wanted man as Man City are said to still be keen on prising him away to bolster Guardiola’s defence.
From losing Vincent Kompany last summer to Aymeric Laporte’s injury troubles this season, the reigning Premier League champions have been vulnerable at the back this year and that has resulted in 31 goals being conceded in 28 games, having conceded just 23 in the whole of last season.
In turn, the need to shore things up at the back is clear with another long-term option to sit alongside Laporte, and while the report above claims that Skriniar is still on City’s radar, it’s suggested that it will take a bid of around €70m to even test Inter’s resolve in keeping the Slovakian International.
Further, it’s noted that Man City’s current European ban from UEFA and the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic could further complicate any big-money swoops from the club this summer, and so it remains to be seen if they can submit what is deemed a sufficient offer by Inter to convince them to green light an exit.
If not, Guardiola may well have to start considering alternatives to address the issue, as City will hope to bounce back next season and take back the title from rivals Liverpool, assuming the Merseyside giants either claim the crown on the pitch if the campaign resumes or are awarded it if the season is called off amid the pandemic.