Sampdoria fans weren’t sure what to make of Milan Skriniar at first. Serie A didn’t appear to be a good fit for the Slovakian defender, signed from MSK Zilina in January 2016. Used sparingly by then Samp manager Vincenzo Montella, Skriniar’s first few appearances for his new club were calamitous in the extreme. He quickly become a figure of fun. The punchline to a joke. There was one game in particular, played on the final day of the 2016/17 season, which exposed Skriniar’s shortcomings. Up against Juventus and the best attacking line in Italy, the Slovakian conceded a penalty and was sent off within just 15 minutes. Sampdoria would go on to lose 5-0 and the fans knew where to point the finger. In his next appearance, made against Roma at the start of the following season, Skriniar, with the score tied at 2-2 in stoppage time, felled Edin Dzeko in the box, allowing the Bosnian striker to throw himself over a leg dangled in naivety, effectively conceding all three points. This provoked another debate among fans and pundits over Skriniar’s readiness for the top level. How times have changed. Two years later, Skriniar is now considered one of the brightest defensive prospects in the European game, becoming a key figure in the Inter Milan renaissance witnessed of late, making the move to San Siro in the summer of 2017. His positioning and decision-making has improved many times over since his early Sampdoria days and just 23 years old, it’s likely that he will continue to get better. It’s little wonder then that Skriniar is reportedly attracting attention from the Premier League, with Manchester United in particular believed to be interested in the centre back. Jose Mourinho is a fan of the Slovakian and sees the 23-year-old as a solution to his current defensive issues. If Southampton got £75 million for Virgil Van Dijk, Inter will surely demand a similar fee for Skriniar. “There are always going to be rumours about a big club looking for you, but Inter are a big club,” Skriniar explained in a recent interview, somewhat quelling reports of a January exit. “The fans can relax, I am happy here. I feel that I am improving day by day, as there isn’t a single area where I couldn’t do better. I am not happy with the way I play now. In any case, it’s not important how I see myself, but how the fans and coaches see me.”