Legendary former Inter midfielder Nicola Berti believes that defender Milan Skriniar is a player who the Nerazzurri must not sell under any circumstances.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published in today’s print edition, the former midfielder gave the view that even signing Bremer would not have been enough to make up for losing Skriniar, whilst he also suggested that he’d prefer to see a younger defender signed over Lazio’s Francesco Acerbi.
Skriniar had been linked with an exit for much of the summer transfer window, with Paris Saint-Germain making the Slovakian a priority target.
Inter were reportedly willing to consider a sale of Skriniar for the right offer, with part of the reason being that they felt that they had the ideal replacement lined up in the form of Bremer.
However, a departure of Skriniar was always likely to come as a massive blow for the Nerazzurri supporters, not just because of his performances on the pitch but also because he is a fan favourite who has even been tipped as a future captain.
Berti echoed this sentiment, stating that “Skriniar is untouchable! Let’s not joke about it.”
In response to the suggestion that Bremer could have potentially arrived to replace the 27-year-old, Berti replied “Not at all. As long as Skriniar stays, Bremer can go chase truffles in Turin for all that I care!”
Regarding the Nerazzurri’s search for a defender to sign before the transfer window closes, he said that “With all due respect to Acerbi, I’d go for Akanji or Chalobah instead.”
“I like the Swiss,” he continued referring to Akanji, “he’s great and above all a lot younger. That’s why Chalobah would be good too. ”
“Akanji is a regular for Borussia Dortmund and the international team, he’s solid and has international experience,” Berti argued. “Let’s not forget that he was part of the Swiss team that kept us out of the World Cup.”
“Maybe he’s not quite up to the level of the starting back three, but he’s just below it,” he added.
However, Berti was less inclined to see Acerbi’s past association with AC Milan as a problem, stating that “I know that his past with Milan isn’t easy for some people to forget, but we’re talking about something from many years ago, there are more serious things.”
“And in any event we’re talking about a total professional here,” he added of the 34-year-old.
And regarding the fact that Acerbi had been seen smiling after a Sandro Tonali goal late on against Lazio to secure an important win in the Serie A title race last season, Berti said, “Let’s not joke about that. I’m sure I used to smile on the pitch too, let’s not dwell on it.”
Lastly, Berti gave his thoughts on the departure of Ivan Perisic and how to replace the Croat, stating that “Ivan is difficult to replace, but on the right I think Dumfries can still improve by 20-30%, and on the left I still think Gosens can come good, and then there’s the magic left foot of Dimarco, a real Interista.”
