Inter CEO Beppe Marotta insists he is delighted about keeping hold of star defender Milan Skriniar despite Paris Saint-Germain’s utmost effort to take him away from Serie A. The Slovakia international was PSG’s top defensive target in the summer, but the defending Ligue 1 champions have failed to get the deal over the line.
In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Marotta confirmed his enthusiasm for retaining the services of Skriniar.
“The balance is certainly positive, but the most important work has been done by keeping hold of key players,” Marotta said. “We were adamant about Skriniar. He was unsellable despite the offers.“
PSG and Skriniar reportedly had a ‘verbal agreement’ over the player’s personal terms. However, Inter refused to budge on their staggering €75m valuation of their prized asset. The French side made three separate attempts to convince the Nerazzurri. Yet, their ultimate €65m bid fell on the Italians’ deaf ears, leaving Paris boss Christophe Galtier fuming.
Galtier was desperate to land Skriniar. Though PSG cannot be accused of a lack of trying, Inter had other plans. The 27-year-old has been a defensive mainstay at Giuseppe Meazza since joining the club from Sampdoria in 2017. Therefore, Simone Inzaghi’s decision to fend off PSG’s interest comes as no surprise.
Skriniar’s move to the Parc des Princes collapsed late in the summer, yet he continues to be a significant first-team player at Inter. He has been part of all five Serie A matches this season, including his side’s 3-2 defeat to Milan in Saturday’s Derby della Madonnina.
But as his other defensive colleagues, he has not enjoyed a promising start to the season. In addition to newcomers Cremonese and Monza, only Spezia (9) have conceded more goals in Serie A this season than Inter (8).