Milan Skriniar Reportedly Rejects New Inter Contract Amid Man United Rumours

Milan Skriniar has reportedly rejected a new contract from Inter Milan amid links to Manchester United and Barcelona.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), following an excellent debut season at the San Siro the Milan giants were keen to reward the centre-back with new terms, increasingly his annual salary to €2.5 million (£2.23 million).

However, it's reported the initial proposal was turned down by the player and his agent, Karol Csonto, as they want a €3 million (£2.68 million) yearly wage, an amount they believe the defender would easily make in the Premier League.

As Football Italia noted, the Red Devils bid €65 million (£58 million) for the Slovakia international in the summer, while Barcelona are also said to have shown an interest.

However, getting Skriniar tied down to fresh terms is not a priority for Inter. The 23-year-old only joined the club last summer and is tied down until 2022.

In 2017-18, Skriniar was a big hit at Inter, as he settled into the centre of the team's defence with ease and formed a fine partnership with Brazil international Miranda. 

There was nobody better than the centre-back in Serie A last season at winning back the ball:

In addition, Skriniar has shown during his time with the Nerazzurri that he uses possession well:

Such were the standards he set last season, serious interest was always going to arise in the Slovak, making links to the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona no surprise. However, staying at Inter would make sense.

The Nerazzurri are back in the UEFA Champions League this season, having pipped Lazio to fourth spot in Serie A last term, meaning he will be tested at a higher level again.

Additionally, the club was active in the transfer window in an attempt to challenge for the Italian title, with Juventus dominating the race for the Scudetto in the past seven years. They brought in the likes of Radja Nainggolan, Lautaro Martinez and Stefan de Vrij, who is expected to partner Skriniar in defence this season.

Interest will remain in Skriniar should he repeat his efforts from last season, although in the past, he has made it clear he is content with life at the San Siro:

If United or Barcelona were to prise him away, you sense it would take a large offer. Last season, the Inter man was arguably the best defender in the division, and they would likely be looking for a fee well in excess of the £58 million mentioned.