I don't want to use this to justify the rumors of his sale but from a financial standpoint, this appears to be simple solely for the purpose of pursuing that capital gain, so he'll almost certainly be the victim. Last week, Marotta hinted that defenders would be forced to be sold.
There are several reasons for this, including the following:
1. He is the only player who has received a large offer and can meet the capital gains and net transfer objectives.
2. The contract has one year left on it.
3. The replacement player has been locked.
And perhaps from Skriniar's perspective, such as
- Significant financial gains,
- Opportunity to advance further in the Champions League, or simply
- Will play alongside his idol Sergio Ramos.
Why not bring in another big name like Bastoni, Barella, or Martinez? Bastoni has already been confirmed to stay at the club; Barella will need a bid of at least 93 million to match Skriniar's capital gains; no team appears to be interested in spending that much money on him.
Martinez is the second most valuable player in terms of capital gains after Skriniar, but Marotta has stated that he is not for sale.
It's easy to blame the club's management because he appears to have been forced to be sacrificed. It's quite concerning, given our efforts to sell our players. Even selling unused or potential young players has not produced a satisfactory result; most of them might go out and will not provide sufficient capital gains or will result in capital losses.
It will be heartbreaking to see a true Interista legend leave, regardless of the financial, sporting, or the ability of the players who will replace him.
Who knows, Skriniar may eventually reject this transfer, forcing the club to consider alternatives to simply sacrificing him.