Barcelona have started making preparations for the summer transfer window, now that the hierarchy situation has been cleared up. Sporting director Deco will be tasked with bringing in a a number of new faces, and among the most pressing is the acquisition of a new top-level centre-back.
The Catalan club have already lined up their preferred target: Alessandro Bastoni. The Inter and Italy star is seen as the ideal player to shore up Hansi Flick’s defence, which has not been at its best throughout this season.
Inter are open to hearing offers for Bastoni, despite the fact that he is one of their key players. This is music to the ears of Barcelona, who have started working on a deal for the 26-year-old, as per Sport.
Deco and Flick are in agreement about Bastoni being the ideal player to arrive this summer. They want a profile similar to that of Inigo Martinez, whose absence has been felt since he left for Al-Nassr in August, and the fact that he has very similar traits to the Basque veteran plays very well in his favour.
Inter yet to establish Bastoni asking price
Barcelona will hope to agree personal terms with Bastoni in the coming weeks, which would set them up well for talks with Inter. During these, it will be determined what the asking price will be, with Fabrizio Romano having reported that the Nerazzurri are yet to decide their valuation, despite recent speculation.
Bastoni would be a top signing for Barcelona, of that there is no doubt. However, it would be no surprise to see Inter demand north of €70-80m, which would be difficult for the Catalans to reach – especially if they continue to operate outside of La Liga’s 1:1 rule. However, if they manage to return to this before the end of the season, they would have a good chance.
