Manchester United and Manchester City are reportedly battling for for the signature of Italy international Alessandro Bastoni.
The 23-year-old joined at San Siro as a teenager from Atalanta BC in 2017 and has since been an important member of the Nerazzurri’s defence.
Bastoni recorded 33 Serie A outings under Antonio Conte as Inter won the Scudetto in 2020-21, with one goal and three assists in 31 league appearances.
The Italy international’s future was the topic of much speculation in the summer as he was widely expected to join former Inter manager Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur.
Bastoni’s agent Tullio Tinti has ruled out any transfer for his client ahead of the 2022-23 season, informing reporters: “Bastoni will certainly remain at Inter.
“He has a contract with Inter, he is happy to play at Inter and there’s no problem I respect contracts. If they call me, there’s no problem.”
The 6ft 3in centre-back is set to become a free agent in 2024, therefore Inter may be forced to sell him next year if he does not agree to new terms.
Man United, Man City To Battle For Alessandro Bastoni?
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, both Manchester United and Manchester City are planning to put Inter to the test in 2023, with Tottenham also keeping an eye on the situation.
According to the report, interested parties may expect to pay up to £50m for Bastoni, despite the fact that his current deal expires in less than two years.
Bastoni has three goals and nine assists in 126 appearances for Simone Inzaghi’s team in all competitions over the last five years, during which he has also been loaned out to Atalanta and Parma.
During that period, the defender has won Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and the Supercoppa Italiana with Inter Milan, as well as being a member of Italy’s Euro 2020-winning squad.
Bastoni was not the only Inter center-back linked with a transfer away this summer, as Paris Saint-Germain pursued soon-to-be free agent Milan Skriniar, but Inter’s asking price pushed the Ligue 1 champions off.
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Both Manchester United and Manchester City bolstered their defensive ranks during the summer window, with the Red Devils edging Arsenal to the signing of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax.
The Argentina international struggled to adjust to life in the Premier League at first, but he has now demoted Harry Maguire to the bench after developing a strong relationship with Raphael Varane.
Meanwhile, during Aymeric Laporte’s knee injury layoff, City signed Manuel Akanji, who has now started three games for the Premier League champions.
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