Barcelona ‘Aware’ £80m Inter Milan Ace Wants To Join Them Next Summer

Barcelona are aware that Inter Milan stalwart Alessandro Bastoni wants to join them.

Alessandro Bastoni Keen On Barcelona Move

Bastoni was previously caught liking Instagram posts linking him to the Nou Camp but played down the rumours, insisting he was happy in Italy. However, his long-term future remains uncertain.

Now, Barcelona’s director of football, Deco, has been informed about the centre-back’s willingness to complete a switch to Catalonia, according to Spanish publication Diario AS.

The 26-year-old certainly ticks several boxes for the LaLiga heavyweights, who want to sign a new left-footed defender. As such, they are long-term admirers and are plotting a significant summer swoop.

Unsurprisingly, Inter are reluctant to sell him and will, in fact, look to hand him a new contract.

But there is an acceptance that they would likely accept a big bid, while Bastoni is open to a new challenge.

The 41-cap Azzurri international has three years left on his current deal, meaning Inter hold all of the cards. The lowest price they would consider a departure is £80million – a stumbling block for potential suitors.

Should Barcelona push ahead regardless, it would represent their most expensive transfer since Antoine Griezmann’s arrival in 2019.

As reported by FootItalia, Liverpool also want Bastoni after losing out on Marc Guehi, who has joined Manchester City. The former Atalanta man is viewed as an ideal replacement for Virgil van Dijk.

Inter Milan Confident Over New Contract

Addressing the interest head-on, Bastoni dismissed links to Barcelona, but was “proud” of the talk.

“It makes me proud to see links. It means I’m doing well,” he said. “But there’s zero, nothing. I’m happy here at Inter, and I have zero issues or problems here. I don’t even focus on the news.”

While Inter are wary of a record-breaking bid landing on their table next summer, head coach Cristian Chivu is confident that the experienced centre-back will put pen to paper on fresh terms.

The two men are understood to hold a strong working relationship, potentially greasing the wheels for an extension. Supporters may even be quietly bullish about their chances of keeping him at the San Siro.

Bastoni currently banks a basic salary of approximately €195,000, but could expect a pay rise to around €250,000 should he sign a new deal. That would make him the second-highest earner behind Lautaro Martinez.