Barcelona is targeting Alessandro Bastoni as a key centre-back option this summer, amid interest in Cristian Romero from Tottenham. Both Bastoni and Inter Milan are concerned that Barcelona's pursuit of Romero could jeopardize their plans to sign Bastoni.
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Alessandro Bastoni threatened by Barcelona interest in Premier League star
Barcelona will look to sign a new centre-back this summer, and given their woes in defence, they want to bring in proven quality to ease their woes. They’ve already established Alessandro Bastoni as their leading target, although there are a number of candidates being considered by the club’s sporting department.
One of those is Cristian Romero, who is set to leave Tottenham Hotspur in the summer regardless of whether they are relegated from the Premier League. Talks have already been held with representatives, and this information has made its way through to Bastoni and his camp.
Inter are also aware of the moves Barcelona have made towards Romero, and according to Sport, both they and Bastoni fear the Catalans ending their plans to sign the Italy international. Spurs are prepared to sell for less than the Nerazzurri, so there is a feeling that a deal could fall through if they push too hard with their demands.
Presently, Inter are asking for €60m to sell Bastoni, while Barcelona are not prepared to pay more than €50m. The latter figure would likely be enough for Romero, which is why the Nerazzurri must decide whether to lower their demands, given that they’ve all-but accepted to cash in on their star defender this summer.
Barcelona is looking to strengthen their defense and has identified Alessandro Bastoni as a leading target to improve their squad.
Barcelona's interest in Cristian Romero, who is expected to leave Tottenham, raises concerns for Bastoni and Inter Milan that it may affect their plans to sign Bastoni.
Tottenham is reportedly prepared to sell Cristian Romero for less than what Inter Milan would demand for Alessandro Bastoni.
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Bastoni himself has made it clear that he wants to join Barcelona, but for now, he is not prepared to force an exit from Inter. He is keen for the two clubs to reach a cordial agreement, but if that starts to look more and more unlikely, he may choose to make his position clear to Inter.
It remains to be seen how Barcelona proceed with their centre-back search. Bastoni would be a top addition, and crucially, he would fill the void left by Inigo Martinez’s absence last summer. However, the Catalans cannot afford to spend too big to sign him, given they are also in need of a new starting striker.