FC Barcelona have set their sights firmly on a move for Inter Milan and Italy centre-back Alessandro Bastoni for the summer.
The 27-year-old defender is seen as the priority target by the Catalans, as they search the market for a left-footed centre-back.
However, there have been some concerns that a move for the Inter Milan ace could prove to be a costly affair, leading to the club keeping an eye on alternatives like Cristian Romero.
Bastoni deal to cost €60-65 million
Providing an update on the situation, journalist Matteo Moretto (h/t Actualite Barça) reports that a deal for Bastoni could cost a total of around €60-65 million.
The Italian international is very much open to the idea of joining Barcelona and would consider leaving Inter Milan only to join the Blaugrana. In fact, he is already believed to have said yes to the La Liga leaders.
Keen on the Barcelona move. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)
So far, formal negotiations have yet to take place between the two clubs and an agreement will need to be finalised for the operation to go through.
A sum of €60-65 million for a player of Bastoni’s quality seems reasonable in the current inflated state of the transfer market.
Moreover, Barça could look to drive the price down further by offering a player in exchange, with names like Hector Fort and Roony Bardghji being mentioned previously as possible candidates.
The defender’s keenness to join could play a big role in negotiations which could begin soon once both Barcelona and Inter Milan wrap up their respective league title triumphs.
