According to an update from Rai Sport commentator and calciomercato ‘expert’ Paolo Paganini, arch rivals Man United have proposed a Paul Pogba swap deal in order to land Sky Blues target Milan Skriniar – potentially delivering a setback to City in our attempts to sign the centre-back.
Skriniar, who’s started 24 Serie A games for current club Inter Milan this season, has been on Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain’s radar for some time – with a past report from calciomercato claiming that City ‘above all’ were prioritising a swoop for the defender.
Which defender would you most like to see at the Etihad?
Nelson Semedo
Dayot Upamecano
Milan Skriniar
Kalidou Koulibaly
However, in City’s hunt for a defensive reinforcements, we may have encountered a potential speed bump as United enter the race for Skriniar’s signature – apparently proposing a swap deal with midfield star Pogba as the Red Devils attempt to poach one of our alleged primary targets.
Currently valued at around €70 million according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, going by his stats, there is little wonder why City are interested in Skriniar’s services.
WhoScored state that the Slovakian international has averaged an impressive 92.3% passing accuracy over the Serie A campaign, as well as racking up the third-most blocks and clearances out of Inter’s entire roster in the league.
These numbers could highlight why Guardiola potentially sees him as a top defensive target, but given Skriniar’s impressive displays this campaign, we could face a battle to sign him – especially with United’s alleged offer.
Whether or not we decide to swoop with an offer of our own remains to be seen, but the 25-year-old’s reputation could highlight the fact he would be worth it.