Manchester United are prepared to go head-to-head with Real Madrid in the race to sign Milan Skriniar from Inter Milan during this summer’s transfer window, a report from The Mirror claims.
Skriniar has been an influential figure for the Nerazzurri in the central defence since his move from Sampdoria in 2017 but he has made nearly 100 appearances for them in the Serie A.
In the past, he has been deemed indispensable to the club but it appears that they could sanction his sale for around £52.5m when the transfer window reopens at the end of the season.
As per The Mirror, United are ready to step up their interest in signing the centre-back but they will face stiff competition from Los Blancos, who are eyeing a long-term replacement for Sergio Ramos.
Manchester City and Barcelona are also said to be monitoring the defender’s situation but none of them are willing to pay more than £40m plus add-ons in the current financial climate.
United have regularly played with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof at the heart of the backline this term but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is said to have concerns with the displays of the latter.
As a result, the club are looking at a high-profile addition to the squad and Skriniar could prove an ideal purchase as he is a ball-playing defender with strong tackling and interception skills.
United currently have Eric Bailly, Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones as the back-up central defensive options in the squad while Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling are presently out on loan.
Bailly and Tuanzebe have yet to sufficiently impress due to their untimely injury setbacks but they are likely to earn the backing of Solskjaer beyond the summer.
However, Jones, who has made only two Premier League appearances this term, could head through the exit door alongside Rojo and Smalling.
The departure of the trio should provide part of the funds required for Skriniar’s purchase and it will be interesting to see whether United can tempt the Nerazzurri with a bid closer to the player’s valuation.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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