Barcelona paired with interest in €70m-rated defensive ace while possible exit also touted

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Barcelona are reportedly keen on Inter defender Milan Skriniar, while the Italian giants are said to be interested in Samuel Umtiti which sets up an interesting transfer situation.

After joining the club in 2017, Skriniar has gone on to establish himself as a fundamental figure for the Nerazzurri, making 118 appearances for the club.

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In that time, he has helped them re-establish themselves as a top-four side in Serie A to return to the Champions League, while they’ve shown signs under Antonio Conte this season that they can compete for the Scudetto moving forward too.

With that in mind, it would seem unlikely that they would consider an exit for the Slovakian international, but Mundo Deportivo report that Barcelona have perhaps set their sights on him to bolster their own defensive options.

It’s added though that not only does he have a contract which currently runs until 2023, but he is said to be valued at around €70m and is also a possible target for Real Madrid.

In turn, that would suggest it could be a complicated pursuit as far as Barcelona are concerned, although it’s easy to see why they would be interested given Gerard Pique turns 34 next year, Umtiti has continued to struggle with injuries and beyond Clement Lenglet, youngster Ronald Araujo is seemingly their only other option in that department.

That said, it could yet lead to a serious effort to sign Skriniar, but time will tell if that touted price-tag is enough to put them off.

Meanwhile, the report goes on to note that Umtiti is of interest to Inter and that the reigning La Liga champions would listen to offers. Perhaps that gives life to a potential swap deal being discussed, while Mundo Deportivo also note Barca’s interest in Lautaro Martinez.

Talks are seemingly likely between the two clubs, but it remains to be seen if it leads to any tangible agreements on transfer deals.

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