How Milan Škriniar can be Manchester City’s Virgil van Dijk
With Manchester City appearing poised to break the transfer record for a defender, the Slovak will anchor the Blues’ defense for the next decade.
When Liverpool shelled out a £75 million fee for Virgil van Dijk from Southampton in January 2018, many scoffed at such a hefty price tag for a defender. While many hit out at Pep Guardiola’s transfer policy of signing expensive fullbacks, the fee for van Dijk exceeded City’s transfer record at any position in an unprecedented move.
The transfer, however, has proved immense for the Reds, as the Dutchman has completely transformed the Liverpool side into one of Europe’s elite. His success has fed into a continuously-evolving transfer market, with each record fee eclipsing the last as we enter into a world where 80-million pound defenders are becoming the norm for the top clubs.
Inter Milan center-back Milan Škriniar has been one of the continent’s elite young talents at the back, with the potential to be one of the world’s best defenders for years to come. If Manchester City do have a specific weakness within their side, it lies at the heart of defense. While Aymeric Laporte, signed for £57.1 million in January 2018, has been a solid addition at the back alongside John Stones, he has not had the impact of a player like Van Dijk.
On the other hand, Škriniar has rapidly emerged during his time in Italy to validate his status as potentially the most expensive defender in history. His incredible rise at the San Siro has caught the eye of several European giants, including Real Madrid, Manchester United, and of course, Guardiola and Manchester City. If he can translate his remarkable ability to the increased pace and physicality of the English game, Škriniar has all of the requisite tools to be City’s anchor at the back for the next decade.
City have shown a clear ambition to dominate European football in nearly every aspect: facilities, youth development, on-pitch success, and in the transfer market. The Slovak defender would represent the latest chapter in that vision, as City look to re-imagine their side around a young cornerstone in defense. If Škriniar can live up to his hefty price tag and the expectations that come with it, one could make the argument that City have the world’s best side in all three phases of the game: defense, midfield, and attack.
Should the Citizens pull off the signing, he would be a key piece in a transitional summer for the Blues. With Atlético Madrid midfielder Saúl linked with a £70 million move of his own to the Etihad, City have begun the process of preparation as several key figures in City sides of the last decade begin to leave the club.
The iconic Yaya Touré departed Manchester last summer, while club captain Vincent Kompany remains without a contract for next season. All three of David Silva, Fernandinho, and Sergio Agüero are on the wrong side of 30, and while they remain key fixtures on Guardiola’s team sheet, the likes of Bernardo Silva, Saúl, and Gabriel Jesus appear poised to replace them as City transition into the next decade.
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Alongside the 24-year old Aymeric Laporte, Škriniar has the potential to play a key role in that vision as half of a partnership that could very well go down as one of the best in Premier League history. Perhaps one day, Laporte-Škriniar will be revered in the same way Nemanja Vidić and Rio Ferdinand or Sol Campbell and Kolo Touré are renowned at Old Trafford and the Emirates, respectively. As City’s anchor of the future, the pinnacle of the club’s unparalleled ambition, Škriniar will have an incredible chance to truly live up to his potential to be one of the world’s absolute best.