€70m Inter Milan defender edges closer to Barcelona

Barcelona edge closer to signing the €70m Inter Milan defender as the left-footed talent becomes the top priority.

Deco and the sporting department have made that profile a priority, convinced that pairing a top-class left-sided centre back with Pau Cubarsí and Ronald Araujo is essential to elevate the team in Europe.

For months, one name has sat clearly at the top of their list, and now the landscape around that target is beginning to shift in Barcelona’s favour.

That defender is Alessandro Bastoni, with Inter Milan’s stance softening as they quietly begin preparations for life without the Italian international.

According to Diario Sport, Inter Milan has started sounding out replacements, drawing up a list that includes Alessandro Buongiorno, Evan Ndicka of Roma, and Jhon Lucumí from Bologna, and even holding early contacts over potential moves.

The fact that the Nerazzurri are actively exploring alternatives is seen at Barça as the first concrete sign that a transfer for Bastoni is no longer an impossible dream.

Barcelona had already tested the waters earlier in the season, speaking with Bastoni’s camp to understand his intentions.

The feedback was positive, with the player open to a move, but always respectful of Inter’s position and waiting to see how the club would define his future.

Initially, Inter were reluctant to even entertain a sale, yet the realisation that cashing in on Bastoni could help finance several strategic signings has changed the internal debate at San Siro.

For now, Inter Milan values Bastoni at around €70 million, a figure Barcelona know they cannot meet outright, but they are optimistic about reducing that number through negotiation.

From April, Barça plan to intensify talks, aiming to secure the player’s commitment and avoid any bidding war by making it clear he would only leave Milan for Catalonia.

If the pieces fall into place, one of Europe’s most coveted left-sided defenders could be edging ever closer to Camp Nou.