Barcelona are reportedly set to miss out on Milan Skriniar, as the Inter defender is being tipped to sign a contract renewal instead.
The Catalan giants appear to have addressed their defensive issues, both in the short-term and long-term, with Jeison Murillo joining on loan until the end of the season while they also signed Jean-Clair Todibo in January.
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However, that hasn’t stopped speculation from linking Skriniar with a move to the Nou Camp, with FCInterNews noting, via the paper edition of Tuttosport, the idea of Rakitic moving in the opposite direction to free up the Slovakian international to join the reigning La Liga champions.
Further, it’s added in that report that Skriniar is valued at €80m, which in turn would also complicate a potential swap, while it’s said Inter don’t want to lose him.
Nevertheless, it’s now suggested that the 23-year-old will sign a contract renewal with the Italian giants to commit his future until 2023, and importantly, it’s added that his new deal will not contain a release clause, as per Calciomercato, via Corriere dello Sport.
In turn, that would undoubtedly put Inter in a great position to keep hold of him for the foreseeable future, while it also arguably suggests that Skriniar is more than happy to commit his long-term future to the club.
It’s also worth noting that Manchester United are specifically mentioned in both reports as an interested party and are tipped to make a summer move of their own, and so it will be a blow for the Red Devils as well if Skriniar was to now pen a contract renewal.
The 23-year-old joined the Serie A giants in 2017, and has gone on to make 61 appearances for Luciano Spalletti’s side.
In that time, he has helped them return to the Champions League, but as they continue to falter this season, it remains to be seen whether or not they can secure a top-four finish to return to Europe’s top table next year.
United are perhaps in more need of defensive reinforcements, as although they’ve improved under interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, they still have the second worst defensive record of the top eight sides in the Premier League.
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