Barcelona are in the market for a new central defender, and at this stage, their top target is Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni. However, there are doubts about whether the Italy international can be brought to the Spotify Camp Nou, given that his asking price could be far above the Catalans’ capabilities.
While it has been reported recently that Inter could accept offers above €50m for Bastoni, ED now say that the Nerazzurri would want a total package in the region of €100m, which would not be possible for Barcelona – especially given they also plan to bring in a new number nine.
In this regard, Barcelona have now started looking into alternatives, as per the report from ED. Pau Torres is one of them, with the Catalans attracted to his experience in La Liga, where he previously played for Villarreal.
Previously, it has been noted that Torres would welcome a move to Barcelona, although it would not be easy to negotiate with Aston Villa, who consider the Spain international to be an important player.
Nico Schlotterbeck is also an option that Barcelona have. Given his indecision regarding signing a new Borussia Dortmund, the German defender is likely to be available this summer, although the Catalans would face significant competition from arch rivals Real Madrid, who are currently leading the race.
Who should Barcelona opt for?
Ultimately, how much Barcelona have to spend will be determined by one main factor: whether they are back within La Liga’s 1:1 rule. If they manage to get this done before the summer transfer window opens, it would make it easier for a top-level defender to arrive – and in that case, Bastoni is likely to be the player sought.
Bastoni ticks a lot of boxes for Barcelona, but so do Torres and Schlotterbeck. It remains to be seen which one arrives at the Spotify Camp Nou, if any.
