According to a report from Tuttosport (as relayed by Sempre Inter), Antonio Conte asked Inter Milan to hold on to Milan Skirniar amidst interest from Tottenham Hotspur last summer.
Skriniar was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham during last summer’s transfer window and the deal looked likely to go through at one point with the Slovak’s agent even being pictured with Spurs technical director, Steve Hitchen, in Italy (Gianluca Di Marzio).
However, the central defender ended up staying put at Inter, with Spurs eventually snapping up Joe Rodon from Swansea City instead.
Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) previously revealed that the reason the 26-year-old’s move to Tottenham fell through was that the North Londoners were unwilling to meet Inter’s €60m (£51.8m) asking price.
However, Tuttosport have now claimed that Conte had a meeting with the Inter hierarchy last summer to ask for Skriniar to be kept at the club.
The report claims that the former Chelsea boss believed he could work with the central defender and help him to adapt to a three-man defence.
Spurs Web Opinion
If this is true, Conte’s decision has been vindicated as Skriniar has adapted very well to his system and has been one of the Nerrazuri’s best players this season. Any hopes that Spurs had of landing the Slovak is now over as his price has likely gone up even further on the back of his displays this season.
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