Barcelona interested in Skriniar; Inter refuses to negotiate

FC Barcelona are facing issues in defence, and chase the Slovakian in a bid to settle defensive woes.

The Catalan giants are chasing Milan Skriniar from Inter Milan to bolster the central defence, according to transfer expert Di Marzio. Skriniar joined Inter only last year, and has appeared in all the Serie A games this season for the club.

Skriniar has impressed the Inter faithful with his consistent performance this season. The club conceded only 30 goals in Serie A this season as compared to 49 the previous YEAR, and Skriniar played a key role in improving the Inter defence.

According to reports, the Slovak is on radar for various European giants, including Manchester United.

FC Barcelona is facing defensive woes for the upcoming season. Samuel Umtiti is facing contractual issues with the club, and Liverpool are the front-runners to sign him. Thomas Vermaelen and Yerry Mina have been sloppy and their errors led to Barca’s failure in completing an invincible La Liga season.

In such a scenario, the presence of 23-year old Skriniar provides a stability to Barcelona’s defence.

di Marzio reports that Skriniar’s agents have been in talks with Barcelona’s directors for a potential transfer. However, the report also says that Inter Milan have refused to negotiate with any club for the player. Inter Milan has stated that the player, at the moment, is “unsellable.”

Also read: Which players should Barcelona sign this summer?

The Italian club wants to retain the player for at least another season. Inter bought the Slovak defender from Sampdoria only last year. The club paid a reported fee of €20 million to acquire the services of the defender. The transfer made Skriniar the most expensive Slovak player of all time.

With so many European clubs pursuing the defender, it may be possible that Skriniar breaks his own record in the near future.