Barcelona are now preparing to take a decisive step in their summer planning, with fresh developments from SPORT pointing towards formal negotiations for Alessandro Bastoni.
The Inter Milan defender has long been on Barcelona’s radar, and the club is now ready to turn that interest into concrete talks.
After playing a key role in Inter’s recent Serie A title triumph, the Italian has only strengthened his reputation, making him one of the most sought-after defenders in Europe.
The big obstacle
As such, the biggest obstacle remains the financial side of the deal, as Inter are expected to demand at least €60 million, a figure Barcelona consider too high.
The Catalan side are exploring ways to bring that valuation down, with the possibility of including players in a swap deal being discussed internally.
Names such as Hector Fort have been floated around, but the full-back, currently on loan at Elche, wants to give his Barcelona career another push.
Despite their strong interest, Barcelona are not entirely satisfied with how the situation has developed.
There is a feeling within the club that Bastoni and his representatives have not done enough to facilitate the move.
Barcelona are ready to open talks with Inter Milan. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
The expectation was that the player would publicly or privately push for a transfer, helping to ease negotiations and reduce the fee.
Instead, that pressure has not materialised. While there were suggestions that Bastoni was waiting for Inter to secure the league title before making any move, the reality is that he has remained quiet.
That lack of urgency has made Barcelona’s task more complicated, especially when dealing with a club like Inter, who are known for being firm negotiators.
So what now?
The situation is further complicated by the player’s contract, which runs until 2028.
Inter are under no immediate pressure to sell and are expected to take a strong stance in negotiations, aiming to secure the highest possible fee.
Even so, Barcelona still believe there is a deal to be done. They are aware that Bastoni is open to the move and see this as the right moment to make a final push.
At the same time, there is also an understanding that Inter could be willing to sell under the right conditions.
