Barcelona want to make at least two major signings this summer, with one of those being a new central defender. Their leading target at this stage is Alessandro Bastoni, and they have made progress towards bringing him to the Spotify Camp Nou.
Bastoni has already made it known that he wants to join Barcelona this summer, and once a contract offer comes his way, the expectation is it will be signed without many issues. Inter are also said to be open to selling at the right price, but right now, there is a clear disparity between the two clubs.
Despite the fact that Inter have not made it clear to Barcelona during negotiations that Bastoni is not for sale, sporting director Piero Ausilio has made it clear that the Nerazzurri want to keep their prized defender, for whom the Catalans have yet to make an official offer, as per MD.
“We have not received any offers regarding Bastoni. He is a valuable player for Inter and for Italy, a strong player, an incredible player and we want to keep him.”
Inter president on Bastoni – “He is a certainty”
Inter president Giuseppe Marotta also spoke on the speculation surrounding Bastoni, but he was rather coy on the matter. He made it known that a decision has yet to be made regarding the Barcelona target.
“The coach, Ausilio, Baccin and I meet every day. Now is not the time and it is not for me to do so, but we have very clear ideas on how to proceed. After the meeting, the owners will dictate the financial guidelines.
“The group has been consolidated over the years and that is important, as is having a solid base of Italians. We want to try to sign the best Italian talent. Bastoni is a certainty.”
It is certain that signing Bastoni will not be straightforward for Barcelona, and they will need to commit towards to putting forward a lucrative financial package if they are to have any chance of agreeing a deal with Inter – although there is still a lot of optimism in Catalonia regarding the situation.
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