Exorbitant transfer fee: Is FC Barcelona’s dream signing set to fall through?

Should the Catalans nevertheless make a move and attempt to sign the 26-year-old, the Nerazzurri will want to receive at least a suitable sum in compensation. After all, Bastoni is under contract with Inter until the end of June 2028.

At Barça, the Italian international is seen as the favourite candidate to bolster a central defence that is short on numbers and has been somewhat erratic at times this season. Barcelona’s sporting director Deco, in particular, is said to be a big fan of Bastoni and has reportedly been to Milan several times to assess the situation personally and lay the groundwork for a summer transfer.

The Catalans currently have just four centre-backs in their squad: Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen, who is currently injured and has rarely featured anyway. Before the season, they let veteran and first-team regular Inigo Martinez leave for Saudi Arabia without replacing him.

At the end of last year, manager Hansi Flick made it more or less clear that he wanted to strengthen that position. However, the only new signing he secured for the defensive flanks was Joao Cancelo, on loan from Al-Hilal.

Nor is this the first time Bastoni has been linked with the Blaugrana; vague rumours had already surfaced last December. The 26-year-old fuelled them by liking Instagram posts suggesting he was set to move to Barcelona. Shortly afterwards, he emphasised that he was happy at Inter.

In Milan, Bastoni is one of the undisputed first-team regulars under coach Cristian Chivu. Across all competitions, he has already made 35 appearances, scoring two goals and providing six assists.