Barcelona working on stunning deal to sign Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni | OneFootball

Barcelona are working on a stunning deal to sign Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona have already opened talks with the player’s representatives and are hoping to get a deal sorted this summer.

Bastoni is reportedly open to joining Barcelona this summer, further boosting their hopes of securing his services. However, getting Inter on board will be a significant hurdle.

Barcelona are hoping Bastoni’s desire to move to the Spotify Camp Nou would force Inter to lower their expectations in terms of transfer fees.

The Serie A leaders will undoubtedly be reluctant to cash in on the 26-year-old, so it’ll take a mammoth proposal to persuade them to sell.

Inter are hoping to improve their financial situation, and Bastoni’s potential exit could help balance the books. However, they wouldn’t let Bastoni leave if their financial expectations aren’t met.

Inter value Bastoni at €60-€80 million, a price Barcelona cannot match due to their own financial issues.

Alternative solutions are being explored, including a potential swap deal. Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres have been named as candidates who could interest Inter.

Olmo is unlikely to jump ship, considering he’s obsessed with playing for Barcelona and still has four years left on his contract.

Torres may be more feasible for Inter. The 26-year-old has bagged 16 goals in 40 games across all competitions despite playing second fiddle to Robert Lewandowski.

However, with his contract set to expire in 2027, Barcelona may use him as a makeweight to reduce the transfer fee for Bastoni.

There’s also a chance that Inter could decide to offer Bastoni a new deal to ward off Barcelona.

However, the highly rated centre-back currently earns around €7m plus bonuses and going any higher would only pile the pressure on Inter’s already strained wage bill.

That plays into Barcelona’s hands. The Catalan giants have already put together an attractive contract proposal for Bastoni.