Barcelona and Atletico Madrid lead race to sign Premier League defender | OneFootball

Barcelona are planning to sign a new central defender this summer, as they seek to solve their woes in that area of Hansi Flick’s squad. Alessandro Bastoni is their leading target, and while a move to prise him away from Inter is going well, there is a chance that a deal does not end up happening due to financial constraints.

Inter would demand a high fee for Bastoni, and although they are increasingly open to his exit, they will want to extract as much as possible from any deal. Barcelona may not be able to pay too much – especially if they fail to secure their return to La Liga’s 1:1 rule – which is why alternatives are being considered.

One of them is Marcos Senesi, who will be available as a free agent in the summer. Barcelona have done work towards signing the Bournemouth defender, and according to CaughtOffside, they are among the favourites to secure his signature.

Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur have also shown interest in Senesi, who has already made it clear that he won’t sign a new Bournemouth contract before his current deal expires in June. However, the chances are that he does not stay in England, with a La Liga move looking increasingly likely.

Atletico Madrid competing for Senesi agreement

That’s because Atletico Madrid are also in for Senesi, and the report notes that they and Barcelona are the two frontrunners. Los Colchoneros are planning to sell Jose Maria Gimenez and/or Clement Lenglet, and their plan is to bring in the Argentine defender as the ready-made replacement.

There are chances for Barcelona to sign Bastoni and Senesi if their finances allow, but in that case, a move to Atleti could be more likely for the latter, given that he would be set for more of a starting role at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano – although it has been reported in the past that the 28-year-old would favour Catalonia as his next destination.