Barcelona’s plans for the summer transfer window appear to be undergoing another adjustment, with one of the club’s previously admired defensive targets now looking increasingly out of reach.
For several months, Alessandro Bastoni was viewed as a profile that perfectly suited the kind of backline Hansi Flick wants to build at the club.
In fact, at one stage, there was a growing belief that Deco considered the Italian international among the strongest candidates to reinforce the defence ahead of the new campaign.
But football transfers rarely depend on sporting desire alone.
Barcelona pressed the pause button
As the market evolved, the financial side of the operation became a major obstacle.
Barcelona are no longer pursuing Bastoni. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Inter Milan made it clear from the beginning that any negotiation involving Bastoni would require an enormous investment, with figures around €70 million consistently being mentioned in Italy.
That valuation complicated Barcelona’s plans.
With the Catalan side already focusing heavily on strengthening multiple attacking areas this summer, committing such a large amount to a centre-back gradually became less realistic.
Over recent weeks, signs of a slowdown in the operation became increasingly visible and now, Inter president Giuseppe Marotta has effectively confirmed what many around Barcelona had already started to suspect.
What was said?
Speaking publicly about the defender’s future, Marotta left little room for interpretation regarding Inter’s intentions.
Bastoni will not play for Barcelona. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)
“We are not, in principle, sellers. If a player leaves, it is he who has expressed a desire to leave. I must say that Bastoni has not expressed a desire to leave.
“He is happy here and we have no need to sell him. I think he will stay with us for the time being,” he said, as per SPORT.
From Barça’s perspective, the focus has anyway appeared to be shifting elsewhere.
The club’s priority remains centred around rebuilding the attacking structure, which is why investing huge money in defence no longer seems to be at the top of the agenda.