‘One of our champions’: Serie A giants reiterate Barcelona-linked defender not for sale | OneFootball

With FC Barcelona still on the lookout for a new centre-back in the summer, Inter Milan mainstay Alessandro Bastoni remains on the club’s shortlist.

The Catalans’ pursuit of the Italian international has seemingly taken a backseat in recent weeks due to the club prioritising the signing of a new striker.

However, Deco & co. will work on a new defensive reinforcement and the 27-year-old Bastoni continues to be an option.

Inter Milan coach shuts the door

But a move for Bastoni now appears increasingly unlikely after Inter Milan made it clear they have no intention of selling him.

Indeed, after the Nerazzurri president, Giuseppe Marotta, shut down the chances of selling Bastoni, their manager, Cristian Chivu, has also reiterated the club’s stance.

Chivu confirms Bastoni is not for sale. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t MARCA), Chivu acknowledged that interest from Europe’s biggest clubs is inevitable, he stressed that Bastoni remains a vital part of Inter’s plans.

“Bastoni is one of our champions. It’s normal that transfer rumors circulate around him because, for me, he’s one of the best centre-backs in the world,” Chivu said.

“I know what kind of person Alessandro is, but above all I know what he has given us, what he gives us, and what he will give us in the future….”

With this, Chivu reaffirmed that Inter Milan view Bastoni as a cornerstone of their long-term project and are not prepared to negotiate his departure this summer.

Will Barcelona sign a defender?

As mentioned previously, the signing of a new centre-back has now dropped to a low-priority option for Barcelona.

New centre-back not a top priority. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

With Ronald Araujo set to stay and Andreas Christensen also likely to renew his contract, only a departure in the defensive unit could lead to a new signing.

Names like Josko Gvardiol of Manchester City and more recently Castello Lukeba of RB Leipzig have been mentioned as targets.