Barcelona Make €45M Move for Bastoni

According to Italian outlet Mediaset, FC Barcelona have submitted their first offer for Alessandro Bastoni, the defender of Inter Milan. The bid is reported to be €45 million, a figure that falls well short of Inter’s valuation of the Italian international and was therefore rejected. However, negotiations between the two clubs are still ongoing.

Bastoni has endured a difficult past two months. During the Derby d’Italia, he was accused of simulation which resulted in Pierre Kalulu receiving a red card, sparking heavy criticism from both the media and fans. In the World Cup qualifiers, Bastoni played through injury but was sent off at a crucial moment, leaving Italy with ten men and ultimately contributing to the team failing to qualify for the World Cup.

Currently, Bastoni has even turned off comments on his social media accounts due to the backlash from fans. This difficult situation in Italy could potentially push him toward a move abroad. Previously, Chelsea FC had approached Bastoni, but both the player and Inter rejected the idea at the time. Now, however, Barcelona have shown concrete interest.

It is reported that Barcelona are prepared to offer Bastoni an annual salary of €7 million, a significant increase from his current net salary of €5 million at Inter. Although the two clubs still have a gap in their valuation of the transfer fee, Sportmediaset reports that negotiations are continuing.