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Villa have been linked with a late move for an elite defender who is also wanted by Spurs and Newcastle.
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Aston Villa could be lining up a January move for one of Tottenham Hotspur’s priority transfer targets – Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Milan Škriniar, who is expected to leave the French club after falling out of favour.
Sport Witness, who cite a story from L’Equipe, claim that while Spurs, who have been linked with a bid the Slovakian defender by a number of press outlets in recent weeks, have a “real desire” to sign Škriniar, and their interest is “more along the road” than that of the Villans.
Meanwhile, Unai Emery’s side are “waiting in the wings to pounce” and could “hijack” the deal. Reinforcements at centre-half are not believed to be an urgent priority for Emery, but the chance to sign a player of Škriniar’s quality may prove to be too good to pass on.
Why is Milan Škriniar up for sale?
Škriniar, who has earned 77 caps for his country and is the national captain, earned a reputation as one of the best defenders in Europe during an impressive six-year stint in Italy with Inter Milan, for whom he made nearly 250 appearances.
He left Inter as a free agent at the end of the 2022/23 season and quickly signed a five-year deal with PSG with a salary estimated by Capology at €315,000 (£266,000) per week, which could prove a stumbling block in negotiations.
His time in the French capital has been unproductive, however, with injuries and sub-par performances across his debut campaign leading to his being dropped by head coach Luis Enrique. Škriniar is reportedly unhappy with his reduced playing time and is amenable to a move.
How much would Škriniar cost?
A prior report from Caught Offside suggested that the transfer fee for the 29-year-old Škriniar, who signed for PSG as a free agent in 2023, could be as high as €35m (£29.5m). That report also suggested that Newcastle United could be interested.
However, Sport Witness’ report claims that PSG are now looking to ease the player’s departure from the club by allowing him to leave on an initial loan deal with a purchase clause which would be activated in the summer after some “easy” conditions are met.
That could help Villa – or a Premier League rival – to make the deal work despite profit and sustainability restrictions. It isn’t stated whether PSG would demand a fee up front for a loan, or how much of Škriniar’s wages may have to be covered.
If none of the defender’s Premier League suitors make a move, then Galatasaray and José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe are also hovering, per the report. The latter recently had a bid for Newcastle defender Lloyd Kelly rebuffed and are working hard to bring in reinforcements for the back line.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa have completed their second transfer deal of the January window with the sale of young winger Jaden Philogene, netting a substantial profit in the process, and have also been linked with a move for a free-scoring £25m-rated striker from the Turkish top flight.