Scout Report – Milan Skriniar
Chelsea are reportedly targeting Inter Milan’s defensive talent Milan Skriniar and are understood to have sent scouts to watch him in action as the club play Atalanta. Antonio Conte is intent on boosting his options at the back since the Blues’ frailties at the back were brutally exposed on several occasions this season. In fact, the Italian manager wanted to bring in reinforcements at the back over the summer itself but back then the club failed to do so.
With the January window approaching, however, Conte is keen to strengthen that area and has identified Skriniar as a potential target. Let’s take a look at the promising defender’s profile.
History
Born in 1995 in Slovakia, the £13.5m rated Skriniar embarked on his career with Ziar nad Hronom, before joining the youth setup of MSK Zilina at the tender age of 12. He spent a few months at the club and even scored a goal for his team in the process. To gain more first-team experience, Skriniar joined ViOn Zlate Moravce on a loan deal in February 2013.
However, his big break came when Sampdoria signed him last January on a four-and-a-half year contract. The player established himself as a key member of the squad and finished the campaign as the youngest defender to have made 35 appearances in Serie-A. Eventually, the player moved on to Inter Milan in July of this year.
The player has also represented various youth Slovak teams and made his debut for the Slovakia national football team last year. Interestingly, in the World Cup qualifying matches, Skriniar played as a defensive midfielder and he thrived in that position as well.
Playing Style
Skriniar’s main strength lies in his passing. His sharpness and accuracy remain unmatched and that can prove to be a valuable asset for Conte at Chelsea. He is old-school in the sense that he loves dribbling and is adept at making short passes. The player is weak at tackling and his focus often ends up wavering but these are qualities that can be developed as time progresses.
Skriniar’s Future
The 22-year-old boasts of a lot of qualities that Conte looks for in central defenders. He also contributes when it comes to going forward and has scored 2 goals for Inter over the course of his time there. Hence, making a move for him does seem like an ideal option for Chelsea.
However, he may not come for cheap since Inter will be hesitant on letting one of their most influential defenders leave. That said, this will be a good opportunity for the youngster to test new waters as a new environment could truly help him develop his career further.