2 years ago
Milan Skriniar transfer latest: Surprising Tottenham hijack talk prompts desperate plea from Alessandro Bastoni
Alessandro Bastoni has outlined his hopes that Milan Skriniar will stay at Inter Milan this summer amid claims Tottenham are back in for his signature. The powerful Slovakian defender has long been regarded as one of Serie A’s best centre-halves. Playing for the Nerazzurri since 2017, he has clocked up well over 200 appearances in that time. However, he has often found himself the subject of plenty of transfer speculation. Tottenham are among the long-time admirers of the 27-year-old. He was the subject of Spurs interest during Jose Mourinho’s time in charge. And those links have only intensified since Antonio Conte took the helm at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Now it’s reported that Inter Milan, with FFP constraints hanging over them, need to raise £51.1m (€60m) before the window closes. As a result, a number of their big-name stars are reportedly lining up for moves away. To that end, Manchester United are reportedly considering an approach for Denzel Dumfries. There’s no denying the Dutchman’s sale will hurt Inter hard. However, the departure of Skriniar would surely have an even bigger impact. Suitors for the former Sampdoria man are not in short supply. Perhaps the strongest interest this summer, though, has come from PSG. The French giants are considering the sale of Presnel Kimpembe. And they reportedly see Skriniar as an ideal replacement. His deal expires in summer 2023 – and never have Inter been more vulnerable to his departure. Amid claims Inter are willing to sell, Tottenham are also seemingly back in the transfer picture. And it seems they are reportedly looking to match any offer PSG make in an effort to reunite the star with Conte. Reports that Skriniar may be lured away have seen Bastoni make a desperate plea to convince his Inter teammate to stay. Bastoni himself was the interest of Tottenham transfer attention earlier this summer. He was ultimately declared untouchable with Inter refusing to sell and presumably around Skriniar’s contract situation. Now, speaking to il Gazzetta dello Sport, Bastoni has outlined his hopes that Skriniar stays put. “He embodies the Inter spirit,” Bastoni said. “Milan has integrated perfectly over the years and we have integrated with him in the department we have built together. Plus, he’s my best friend in the group. “It would really be a shame to leave us right now, I hope he stays. I think we’ll still do a lot of great things together.” As it goes, Tottenham look unlikely to sign Skriniar. Skriniar at the centre of a bidding war Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham are all interested in prying Milan Skriniar away from Inter. Conte has invested heavily already this summer and already has a new central defender on his books in Clement Lenglet. And with any deal for Skriniar still likely to be for around £40m, Conte may have a tough job convincing the club to spend further on that department.
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