Liverpool could sign £80m Van Dijk successor on one condition but transfer for Spurs star ‘more likely’ | OneFootball

Liverpool will have to stump up a ‘huge fee’ if they want to sign Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni this summer, according to reports.

The Reds’ plans for strengthening at centre-back over the summer were left in tatters after Crystal Palace pulled the plug on the sale of Marc Guehi at the last minute.

Liverpool did sign a new centre-back from Parma, in the form of Giovanni Leoni, before the young Italy international succumbed to a season-ending injury in the Carabao Cup in September.

The Reds have had to manage with little back-up for Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk for most of the season and now Liverpool are set to strengthen at centre-back in the summer.

It was confirmed in January that Jeremy Jacquet will join from Rennes in the summer and they are also looking for a slightly more senior centre-back to go straight into the starting XI next term.

Inter Milan star Bastoni has been linked in recent months and Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke has warned Liverpool that it will take ‘huge money’ to prise the Italy international away from the San Siro.

O’Rourke adds that ‘bids in excess of £80million will be required just to bring Inter to the negotiating table’ with sources indicating that Liverpool’s ‘ability to sign him this summer depends on whether he is keen to explore a new challenge in his career’.

Bastoni the ideal successor for Van Dijk, but Barcelona are confident

As we confirmed recently, Barcelona are also looking at the possibility of signing Bastoni in the summer, though transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has indicated that the Catalan giants could struggle to raise the finances.

Romano revealed: “When discussing Barcelona’s plans for the summer, one of the dream targets in defence remains Alessandro Bastoni. Barcelona really appreciate Bastoni and they admire his profile as a defender.

“However, I continue to repeat that for Inter he is an absolutely crucial player. He is not just another squad member. He is one of the most important players in the team and also an Italian international, so it would be a very complicated deal.

“The interest from Barcelona is genuine because they like Bastoni a lot, but everything will depend on their financial priorities and how much they decide to invest in different positions.

“We must remember that Barcelona will likely spend around €30 million to sign Marcus Rashford on a permanent transfer. In addition to that, the club are also looking for a number nine.

“So the key question is whether Barcelona will still have the budget to afford Bastoni. That is why they are monitoring several alternatives and keeping different options open.”

However, TEAMtalk have been told that Barcelona are confident of getting a deal done for the Italian star, while Liverpool see him as the ideal successor to Van Dijk.

Barcelona’s confidence stems from positive early discussions with Bastoni’s representatives, though financial constraints could prove a hurdle.

Liverpool are not far behind, though, and Bastoni’s elite distribution aligns perfectly with the Reds’ build-from-the-back philosophy.

Micky Van de Ven more likely?

The report from O’Rourke and Football Insider adds that a deal for Tottenham centre-back Micky van de Ven is ‘more likely for Liverpool’ in the summer.

It is understood that Liverpool are ‘leading the race’ to sign the Netherlands international, while Barcelona are also ‘extremely interested’ in Van de Ven.

O’Rourke continues: ‘Van de Ven is expected to seek a move away from Tottenham in the summer, and as a result, he is a more likely candidate to join Liverpool than Bastoni is at the moment.’

Liverpool are prepared to make an early move for highly-rated winger Yan Diomande in the summer as they attempt to beat a host of clubs to his signature.

The interest from Anfield is not fully dependent on whether Mohamed Salah stays at Liverpool or not, and those close to the player have encouraged the Premier League giants to make their move.

As Liverpool look to sign centre-backs, Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez has opened the door to a move to Liverpool over the summer after admitting that he was a big Reds fans as a kid.