According to Italian website Inter Live, Liverpool could make an ambitious move to sign Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar after the injury for Virgil van Dijk.
Van Dijk recently picked up a hamstring problem in the 3-1 Premier League defeat at Brentford and The Guardian report that the centre-back could be out of action for a long while.
Liverpool still have Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez in the squad but this has not stopped speculation that they could make a new signing to compensate for the Dutchman’s injury.
As per Inter Live, the Merseyside giants could be willing to pay up to £35 million for Skriniar if Van Dijk is sidelined for the long term. The report adds that Inter Milan could be compelled to listen to the transfer offer as Skriniar has entered the final six months of his contract.
Top class
Van Dijk has been a vital cog in Liverpool’s defence and his long term absence would be a huge blow in their quest to qualify for the Champions League. The club are already five points behind fourth-placed Manchester United and the gap could extend further without the defensive assurance of Van Dijk.
Hence, Jurgen Klopp’s side need to sign an experienced centre-back to fill the likely void and Skriniar would be a perfect candidate with his consistency at Inter. Skriniar, who is also the captain of his club, has completed around 93 per cent of his passes in all competitions this campaign.
The Slovakian star has also been solid defensively with key tackles and clearances and he would be a top-class signing for Liverpool this month. Inter should be tempted to sell him for the price mentioned as they could lose him for nothing at the end of the season. He reportedly has no plans to renew his deal.
Liverpool’s possible hurdle for the player could be Paris Saint-Germain. They failed with an approach to sign Skriniar last summer and could be forced to enter the race in January if Liverpool make their move. Skriniar could be seen as a replacement for Sergio Ramos, who could be Saudi-bound.
