According to Calciomercato.it, Chelsea are ready to step in to sign Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar on a free transfer next summer.
The Slovakian international was fancied to leave the Serie A giants last summer, but they decided to keep him as they were no suitable offers on the table. He will now enter the final six months of his contract in January and Calciomercato claim that Inter have yet to convince him over a renewal.
The £53 million star has not accepted their latest contract offer of £6.2 million per year. It is reported that Chelsea could capitalise on the situation to sign him on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Experience
Chelsea lost two key central defenders in Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen last summer. They replaced them with Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana, but the duo are yet to have a significant impact on the club’s performances this season.
Fofana suffered a serious knee injury within a few matches for Chelsea while Koulibaly has looked out of his depth in English football. Despite his vast Serie A experience, he has had troubles adapting to the Premier League due to the high intensity.
Koulibaly will be aiming to prove a point when the season resumes, but Chelsea should be wary of signing Skriniar for the same reason. The 27-year-old has been an outstanding player for Inter with his strong concentration and distribution skills.
However, the transition from the Serie A to English football has not been smooth for many players including Denis Zakaria, who is still awaiting his Premier League debut for Chelsea. The Swiss midfielder joined them from Juventus on loan in September.
Hence, there is the risk associated with signing Skriniar but the opportunity to land him on a free transfer could be hard to ignore. Chelsea obviously need another central defender for next season as Thiago Silva is already 38 and could call time on his career soon.
Skriniar would fit into the club’s requirement for an experienced replacement but whether he would succeed in the Premier League is left to be seen. Paris Saint-Germain could be Chelsea’s main competitors for the Slovakian, having failed to sign him last summer.
