Milan Škriniar Seals Permanent Fenerbahçe Transfer From PSG

Paris Saint-Germain and Fenerbahçe have agreed to a deal for Milan Škriniar, GOAL can confirm.

WHAT HAPPENED

Milan Škriniar is heading back to Turkey to join Fenerbahçe after the club agreed to a fee of €7 million upfront, with the possibility of add-ons taking the total for the centre-back between €10 million and €15 million, as reported in a previous update here. Škriniar will sign a long-term contract that will commit him to Fenerbahçe until 2028.

Škriniar had gone on loan to Fenerbahçe last summer after falling out of favour at PSG under head coach Luis Enrique. The Slovakian impressed in Turkey as they improved in the 2nd half of the season, and could have joined permanently in the summer, which has now been confirmed as done.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Since leaving Inter Milan, where he was stripped of the captaincy for refusing to sign a new contract and instead departed for PSG on a free transfer, Škriniar’s career has taken a major downward turn. A report confirmed that he has completed his move from Paris Saint-Germain to Fenerbahçe here.

The former Manchester United transfer target now finds himself surplus to requirements at PSG and has admitted that going to the Ligue 1 champions was a mistake. In an interview with AS earlier this season, he said: “I decided to sign a contract with PSG because it was a very interesting sports project for me. Unfortunately, it turned out the other way around. With the hindsight I have today, I would have preferred to stay at Inter.”

“Looking back, it didn’t turn out to be the best decision of my career, but it was also not a decision made lightly or in a rash way. One player makes a decision for a lot of reasons. It was a big challenge for me because PSG is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and I took that challenge. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to.”

WHAT NEXT?

Fenerbahçe have allowed Edson Alvarez to depart for Al-Ittihad this month, and in Škriniar, they will hope to have signed a player who can strengthen their defensive options as they look to catch up with their Istanbul rivals in the battle for the Super Lig crown. Adding Škriniar is seen as a vital move to bolster their defense, particularly after they missed out narrowly on the title last season.