Inter: Barcelona are serious about signing Bastoni; sporting director Deco has visited Milan on several occasions

Barcelona are on the lookout for a left-footed centre-back who is strong in build-up play and possesses outstanding attacking qualities. Alessandro Bastoni has long been identified as the ideal signing – the Blaugrana sporting director’s preferred choice – for a squad that could lose both Araujo and Christensen this summer and is looking to bring in a world-class player to replace them.

And to ensure the deal goes through, as reported by Fabrizio Romano, Deco has visited Milan several times over the last four to five months to start "laying the groundwork", both in his direct dealings with the player and his entourage, and with Inter.

It is precisely for this reason that both the player and Inter are fully aware that the reports concerning Barcelona are not mere rumours or speculation in the press, but rather the result of genuine interest and negotiations that could begin at any moment.

As far as Inter are concerned, what has been made clear to the former Portuguese playmaker – now a club director – is that a €50 million bid would not be enough to prompt a sale. Furthermore, there has been no confirmation that the club is willing to sell their centre-back, and certainly not for that kind of money.