Doubts over Alessandro Bastoni move to Barcelona as conflicting stories emerge

Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni has been cast as the number one priority for Barcelona to strengthen their backline over the past few months, but now there are doubts emerging over the prospect of a move. For some time it has been signalled that the price tag will likely be the primary stumbling block in a deal.

After Sporting Director Piero Ausilio said that Inter had no intention of losing Bastoni, and that they had received no offers for the Italy international, President Giuseppe Marotta has acknowledged Barcelona’s interest.

“I don’t deny that FC Barcelona is interested in him, but for now it’s a very superficial interest and there’s no basis for talking about anything else at this time. As we’ve always said, the player will only leave if he expresses that desire himself. For now, he’s our player, he wants to stay, and we’re happy with him,” Sport quote.

Catalonia: Barcelona disappointed in Bastoni behaviour

Yet in a separate report, Sport say that Barcelona are disappointed in that Bastoni has not pushed for an exit yet. They were relying on Bastoni to request an exit from Inter, and help to drive down the asking price, without which a deal could be difficult.

Fellow Catalan sports paper MD paint a slightly different picture. They say that Bastoni has an agreement advanced on personal terms, but is waiting for an offer to arrive from Barcelona in order to push for an exit. The Blaugrana are the only side he will consider an exit for. Yet at the same time, Barcelona have informed him that they have other priorities to attend to first, namely a number nine.

Italy: Bastoni doubting Inter exit

On the other hand, Italian paper GdS (as quoted by Diario AS) claim that Bastoni is now having second thoughts about an exit. He had decided to leave for Barcelona, but after winning the Scudetto, he is rethinking his decision, and has a new-found appreciation for Inter, the fans and the city of Milan.

It seems that none of the three parties have much certainty on what will happen this summer, but the obstacle of the price tag could well be decisive. Until Barcelona have clarity on their plans for the number nine spot, and how much that will cost, they may be reluctant to use the majority of their budget on Bastoni.