Milan Skriniar, it’s done. As expected, the Slovak international defender (58 caps, 3 goals) has signed up for PSG. First recruit of the summer for the capital club, which presented its new coach, Luis Enrique, on Wednesday in Poissy. Five-year contract for the now ex-Inter Milan player, who arrives on the banks of the Seine without transfer compensation, like Marco Asensio (ex-Real Madrid). “I am very happy to be part of such a club today”, relishes the former Sampdoria player, in remarks reported by the Parisian club media, expressing his “pride” and assuring that saying yes in Paris was a “simple choice”. “The choice was made in a second,” he adds.
A rough and experienced defender, capable of playing with four or five, Skriniar had been courted by PSG for a long time. In fact, the champions of France tried everything to repatriate him last summer, and even again in the winter transfer window, in vain. The leaders of Inter were inflexible, taking the risk of losing the player without compensation. What finally happened. Double trouble since the vice-champions of Europe could not even count on him during the second part of the season.
Touched on the back, Skriniar played the last of his 246 matches (11 goals) with Inter on March 14, 2023, with 10 short minutes off the bench against Porto, in the Champions League. He passed on the billiards in April, he who was on the bench during the C1 final (lost) against Manchester City (0-1 defeat). The question of his state of health therefore arises. “The last few months haven’t been easy for me, I’ve been injured, I’ve had a back problem. But today everything is better, I feel perfectly well. I played two games with my national team of Slovakia, so I’m ready”, he says, reassuring, he who actually played all of his national team’s matches against Iceland (2-1 ) and Liechtenstein (1-0) in the June window.
And to conclude: “After recovering from my injury, I never stopped training, so I’m at 100%, and maybe even more.” Good for Paris Saint-Germain and for Luis Enrique, the new coach. Note that the defending sector, and in this case the hinge, will be more provided than ever this season in Paris, with therefore Skriniar, but also captain Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe and soon Lucas Hernandez. The last two named are also returning from injury, respectively to the Achilles tendon and the knee.