The possible signing of Alessandro Bastoni by Barcelona has truly cooled down. According to information attributed to Fabrizio Romano, the agreement between Barça and Inter Milan is completely blocked, is not advancing and the Italian club are not considering selling him for €40 million or €50 million. The player would be open to a change, but the huge wall remains Inter’s asking price.
That detail changes the reading of Barça’s defensive market quite a lot. For weeks, Bastoni was one of the strongest names to reinforce the back line. Right now, however, the operation does not only look difficult, but almost completely stopped.
Inter consider him practically untouchable, have not received a formal offer and value him clearly above what Barça seem willing to pay. That leaves the Catalan club in a very uncomfortable position. And it also explains why the file is losing strength inside the summer planning.
Barça have other urgent priorities
On top of that, there is another key factor in Barça’s planning for this summer. Right now, the club believe there are more urgent priorities than strengthening the centre of defence. The striker and winger positions are the two files carrying the most weight inside the offices.
Barça’s market situation remains very delicate in that sense. The club do not want to jump into an extremely expensive defensive operation while other key needs remain unresolved. Any major investment will also depend on sales and exits being activated first.
That is why Bastoni’s economic fit now makes much less sense. If Inter do not move from such a high demand, Barça cannot force the operation. And with Hansi Flick needing solutions in attack, the Italian centre-back has clearly lost ground.
The player is liked, but the context blocks everything
The important point is that the problem does not seem to be Barça’s opinion of the player. Bastoni remains highly valued because of his left foot, ball progression and elite-level experience. Reports even suggest the player would look positively on this type of move.
But liking a player is one thing, and being able to enter an operation of this size is another. The transfer cost, Inter’s firm stance and Barça’s immediate squad priorities have cooled a file that recently looked much more alive. That is why the Italian is now behind more urgent and realistic targets.
The club need to choose carefully where they place their money this summer. A striker and a winger can change the team’s attacking ceiling immediately. A centre-back of Bastoni’s cost, in this context, is much harder to justify.
A file almost stopped
The conclusion inside the Barça environment is becoming quite clear. Bastoni is no longer in a hot phase of the Catalan club’s market, but in an almost stopped file. While Inter continue asking for much more than €40 million or €50 million, the operation will remain blocked.
Barça still like the player, but they are now looking at other priorities first. The striker and winger positions dominate the current plan. Unless Inter lower their demands dramatically, Bastoni is moving further and further away from Camp Nou.
Caution note: this situation is based on reported information attributed to Fabrizio Romano and market planning, not an official negotiation completed between Barcelona and Inter Milan.
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