Tottenham have reportedly been beaten to this defensive signing (Image: Getty)
Tottenham and have reportedly been beaten to the signing of centre-back Milan Skriniar by Fenerbahce, who are managed by ex- boss . The Slovakian has been linked with a move to Spurs for some time and would have provided vital defensive cover.
The north London side are sailing treacherous waters at the moment – and have been for some time. Obliterated by injuries, side haven’t tasted victory since mid-December and sit just eight points away from the bottom three, having been on Sunday.
Chairman Daniel Levy and the club’s hierarchy have for their lack of recruiting in the January window, with the list of those sidelined reaching double figures. To make matters worse, one potential recruit, Skriniar, has been snapped up by the man who led to a League Cup final in 2021, only to be sacked less than a week before it.
’s interest in Skriniar dates back to 2021 when Antonio Conte arrived at the club after a successful stint at Inter. The Italian side were rumoured to need to offload assets, and a reunion with his former manager looked on the cards for the defender.
Yet, a move would never materialise, and Skriniar would pen a pre-contract agreement with Paris Saint Germain in 2023 – the same year that Conte unharmoniously exited the Stadium after a scathing review of the club’s infrastructure.
After a relatively uneventful first season at the Parc des Princes, Skriniar has found minutes hard to come by this campaign, and it has now been all but confirmed that he has decided to join Mourinho’s Turkish giants on loan.
Skriniar is supposedly Istanbul-bound (Image: Getty)
While this deal hasn’t yet been officially announced, it rubs salt into and Postecoglou’s wounds nonetheless. Spurs haven’t sealed an outfield signing so far this window, with their only recruit being goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
Young Archie Gray has often had to deputise at centre-half due to the injuries sustained by two starting defenders, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.
Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies have also had to act as deputies, but their performances haven’t been up to scratch, and their league position has plummeted. According to , Spurs were interested yet again in Skriniar this window, but they have rested on their laurels and now find themselves in a bonafide crisis with no new signings to ease the burden.