KEY POINTS

  • Tottenham is planning to launch a bid for Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar before the transfer deadline
  • Inter boss Antonio Conte said Skriniar could go depending on the amount of offer
  • Skriniar was initially considered by Inter for a swap deal involving Tottenham's Tanguy Ndombele

Tottenham Hotspur is set to launch a formal bid for Inter Milan star Milan Skriniar before the transfer window expires on Oct. 5.

The Spurs are now considering a shock move for Milan center-back Skriniar ,who has been tagged as Mourinho’s “first-choice” signing for the position this summer, The Guardian reported. Both clubs have held discussions last week in Milan with the Serie A club keen on letting the defender go for a fee of €60 million or €50 million ($70 million or $58 million) plus add-ons.

The Premier League club is expected to make a concrete offer for Skriniar but is only prepared to spend around €30 million–€35 million ($39 million–$45 million) for his services. The Spurs are well aware that they need to improve their offer and would have to decide how badly they want to sign the highly rated player.

Inter boss Antonio Conte has hinted at Skriniar’s future with the club over the weekend. According to Conte, letting Skriniar go is not really an option but still “possible” depending on the amount involved.

"Skriniar to Tottenham? He's part of our project here at Inter," the ex-Chelsea boss told Sky Sports Italia (via Fabrizio Romano ). "But I don't know if an important bid will arrive in the coming days. it's possible that the club will consider it because of the financial situation.”

Skriniar has long been linked to a move to Tottenham as Tuttosport earlier reported that the Spurs have initially considered swapping their under-performing player Tanguy Ndombele. The swap deal is said to have “intensified” but has not actualized yet. However, Tottenham managed to seal the transfers of two defenders this summer – Real Madrid left-back Sergio Reguilón for £27.5 million ($35 million) and Wolves full-back Matt Doherty £14.7 m illion ($19 million).

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho started his reign at the club with a 3-2 victory at West Ham
Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho started his reign at the club with a 3-2 victory at West Ham AFP / Adrian DENNIS

Despite being considered for a possible San Siro exit, Skriniar has been a consistent performer for Inter. The Slovakian defender has played a total of 2,800 plus league minutes each season for the Italian side since his arrival in 2017, proving his ability to stay healthy and capable of playing for almost an entire campaign. He also has a proven defensive record winning 57% of his defensive duels and 61% of his aerial duels across all competitions, Football.london reported.

Tottenham, on the other hand, has not been known for its defense in recent times and the addition of Skriniar could intensify Mourinho’s goalkeeping department.

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