Alessandro Bastoni could be heading straight to Liverpool this summer if reports coming out of Italy offer any indication.
Inter Milan are reportedly prepared to seriously consider any offers for the Italy international at the end of the season, according to gazzetta.it.
That may come as quite a shock to Premier League fans, given the centre-back has featured prominently throughout the Serie A side’s domestic and Champions League campaign.
The report in question now claims that Inter ‘could now accept’ an offer around the €50m (£43.2m) mark in the summer. However, this would likely require bonuses to be included to get any prospective deal over the line.
At any rate, Bastoni is sure to attract interest from a number of English clubs, perhaps even (the not expressly mentioned) Liverpool.
Roberto Maida reports: “But even in England, several teams could appear in the transfer window if the signs of openness are clear.
“His previous valuation of €70 million [£60.5m] is no longer relevant: Inter could now accept an offer around €50 million, perhaps taking advantage of the usual bonuses that lull even the most complicated negotiations.”
With a drop-off of almost £20m in value, Liverpool, and any other interested suitors, would surely be foolish to overlook the opportunity to sign one of Europe’s top centre-backs.
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We still find it hard to believe that Xabi Alonso would persist with a back three at Liverpool, were he to be handed over the reins in the summer.
Either way, even with Jeremy Jacquet arriving in the summer (a likely delayed pre-season with his injury) and Giovanni Leoni still present in the squad, we find ourselves a centre-back short ahead of the next window.
Yes, Ibrahima Konate signing a new contract would ensure Liverpool have a full complement of centre-backs available (and that’s discounting the availability of Joe Gomez).
But with Virgil van Dijk set to enter the final year of his deal in the 2026/27 season, signing Alessandro Bastoni – one of the leading left-sided centre-backs in world football – would surely represent an obvious first move.
The wings remain perhaps the top priority, of course, with us sorely missing pace higher up the flanks.
But the Italian is a bona fide market opportunity around the £43m mark – and Liverpool are well-known to love this kind of transfer.
If we cannot get ucl next season, alot of these transfer talks are futile. Hopefully Alonso is keen on the project of rebuilding. There has been rumors of Ajax approaching slot. Wish him all the best and he should do well in Holland.
Whoever is manager next season one of our biggest problems will be sorting out the central defence. Through incompetence in the transfer market and inept planning ahead, we will be left with van dijk who’s going to be 35 in July. Gomez who’s injury prone, Leoni will need time to recover from his terrible injury.
Jeremy jacquet is only 20 who knows how long he’ll need to adapt to the premier league. Konate will be leaving in the summer. Another two centre backs at least, has to be experienced and a long term replacement for van dijk.
You have to ask what were Hughes and Edwards thinking when they spent 26 million on Leoni who was Never going to be ready for the premier league yet they wouldn’t pay 35 million when the transfer window opened . What a shambles.
I have said it before and will say it again here….Liverpool needs a new manager and 6-7 additional players to be in the frame to win everything next season.
Managers. Get rid of Slot and look at Nagelsman and Alonso in that order as replacements. Get it done FSG. Two, on players. We need 2-3 defenders, 2 midfielders and 2 wingers. Defenders – I’d pick from Bastoni Schlotterbeck, Micky van den Ven and Djed Spence, both from Tottenham who can be acquired for a bargain especially if Tottenham get relegated. Midfield – any pick from Elliot Anderson, Andy Wharton, Kees Smit and Tonali from Tottenham again for a bargain. I’d also look at Ousmane Diomande as a defensive midfielder who can double as a defender. Wingers – Any pick from Yan Diomande, Kenan Yildiz, Chico Conceicao, MIka Godts, Desire Doue and possibly Michael Olise whom I doubt we’d get
There is my goal and set up for Liverpool.
