Barcelona to accelerate talks for defensive signing this week after Champions League elimination

Barcelona to accelerate talks for defensive signing this week after Champions League elimination

Barcelona’s sporting department are set to spring into action after the Blaugrana were eliminated from the Champions League. With Barcelona on course to win a second consecutive La Liga title, and out of the cup competitions, the final six weeks of their season look relatively straightforward.

Atletico Madrid ran out 3-2 winners over Barcelona on aggregate, with Ademola Lookman’s goal proving decisive. Hansi Flick said before the match that he was not concerned about his side’s defending, but Barcelona’s lack of effectiveness at both ends of the pitch came under the microscope.

Barcelona to accelerate talks for Alessandro Bastoni

Despite what Flick may say, it is inescapable that one of Barcelona’s priorities in the summer is a central defender. Their top target is Alessandro Bastoni, and they already have the green light from Inter to negotiate with Bastoni, and the Italian defender has also approved a move, although more recently it was reported that he was having second thoughts about it.

Nevertheless, Sport say that Barcelona are expected to accelerate talks for Bastoni this week now. No doubt this is a story that benefits Barcelona, providing a distraction and hope for fans, but their information is that they are keen to wrap up a deal before the World Cup if possible. The primary stumbling block that has been foreseen is the negotiating with Inter, with Nerazzurri demanding €70-80m, and Barcelona’s offer thought to be around €50m. The Catalan side are keen to work out if they can do a deal with Inter this week at the very least.

Is Bastoni the defender Barcelona need?

Last year, there would have been little questioning the pursuit of Bastoni, who was impressing for Inter in Europe. He certainly has shown defensive nous in the past, and is excellent on the ball. There are some doubts about his ability to defend space though, and he is not the quickest defender, which is an attribute Barcelona’s centre-backs currently lack.