Inter coach Antonio Conte was behind Milan Skriniar staying with the club last summer, according to an Italian media report today.
As per Tuttosport’s print edition, during the Villa Bellini meeting between Conte and club management at the end of last season, the former Italian national team coach asked for the Slovakian to be kept around despite interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
The Premier League club reportedly showed a really keen interest but could not agree to a deal with Inter, with Spurs’s reported bid falling well short of Inter’s asking price for the former Sampdoria player.
Conte wanted to work on Skriniar and help him adapt better to his three-man defence, the report said, and time has certainly vindicated this decision.
Last season Skriniar had some difficulties in getting used to Conte’s system, but he has turned things back around for himself now and is once again irreplaceable for the Nerazzurri.
The 26-year-old, who is under contract with Inter until the end of the 2022-23 season, has made 28 appearances across all competitions to date this season, in which he has scored two goals.
