Manchester City are reportedly interested in acquiring Inter Milan centre-back Milan Skriniar, who has been a top target for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for most of the summer.
Skriniar, who is in the final year of his contract at the San Siro, has been in the headlines due to his ongoing contract talks with Inter. Since arriving from Sampdoria for in a £30 million move in 2017, he has helped the Nerazzuri win three trophies, including the 2020-21 Serie A.
A hard tackler and an aerially dominant defender, Skriniar has registered 11 goals and four assists in 223 games across competitions for Inter. The 27-year-old has started all eight games for the Nerazzurri this season.
According to The Sun, Manchester City have joined Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in the race to snap up Skriniar in the winter. Although the Cityzens' priority is to bolster their midfield in the future, the towering Slovak has caught the eye of manager Pep Guardiola.
Despite roping in Manuel Akanji from Borussia Dortmund for around £15 million this summer, City are set to be on the hunt for a centre-back in the winter. Guardiola has publicly vented his frustration about his centre-backs' consistent injury woes.
Meanwhile, PSG are still in Skriniar's pursuit. Although the Parisians' bid of over £50 million was rejected on deadline day, they're expected to renew their interest in the centre-back in the winter, as per GOAL. The Nerazzuri could be keen to offload Skriniar if he doesn't agree a contract extension by then.
While Manchester City are atop the Premier standings with 17 points from seven games, PSG have 19 points from seven games and lead Marseille on goal difference.
Manchester City won 3-0 at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (September 17) to leapfrog Arsenal at the summit of the standings.
PSG boss opens up on efforts to sign Manchester City-linked Milan Skriniar
At a post-match press conference earlier this month, new PSG manager Christophe Galtier revealed the reason behind the Parisians' failure to acquire Milan Skriniar. He said (via Culture PSG):
"Of course, Milan Skriniar was a player we identified. We thought we were close to an agreement at one point, but the prices went up as time went on."
He continued:
"I can understand our president, because paying such a transfer amount for a player at the end of the contract in a year is huge. I am in constant contact with my president and Luis Campos."
Meanwhile, Skriniar is expected to be offered a contract extension till 2027 by Inter, according to journalist Nicolo Schira.
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