Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been handed another setback in their pursuit of Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni, who is not keen on a move away from San Siro.
According to a report from Italian outlet InterLive.it, Tottenham Hotspur have been strongly linked with a move for Inter Milan’s silky defender Alessandro Bastoni since the start of last summer. However, the Italian international does not want to move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and is reluctant to leave the Italian club.
Bastoni joined Inter from Atalanta in the summer of 2017 and has since gone on to make 134 competitive appearances for the Nerazzurri. However, it has not been plain sailing for the 23-year-old at San Siro. He returned to Atalanta on loan and then spent another temporary stint with Parma before being handed his Serie A debut for Inter after Conte became the manager of the team in 2019.
He excelled under Conte to become one of the best young centre-backs in Italy and was an integral part of their Serie A title-winning team in the 2020/21 season. His form that season saw him get called up to Roberto Mancini’s Italian national team setup, and he was part of the Azzurri squad that won the Euro 2020 title that summer.
Conte left San Siro in the summer of 2021 and later joined Tottenham in January of this year. Meanwhile, Bastoni has continued his development under Simone Inzaghi and remains an integral part of the Italian giants’ defensive rearguard.
The ball-playing defensive ace is in fine form for club and country this season, attracting admiring glances from top clubs all across the continent. Conte, for one, has made no secret of how highly he rates the Inter defender and sees his former player as the ideal long-term fix to slot alongside Cristian Romero and Eric Dier.
It is clear to see why Tottenham continue to pursue the Italian international despite failing to lure him to North London in the summer transfer window. Bastoni is a left-footed centre-back who is well versed in playing a back three, and would seamlessly slot into Spurs’ three-man defensive system. Still only 23, he has all the tools to develop into a world-class player in the future.
Recent reports have suggested that Tottenham could be prepared to launch a staggering €50 million offer for the player at the end of the season. However, according to the above report, Spurs have been dealt a setback in their pursuit of Bastoni, who is unwilling to leave his current club despite strong interest from elsewhere.
At one stage, Inter were said to be willing to listen to offers around the €55 million mark for their prized asset. That stance appears to have changed now, with the defender believed to be a key part of Inter boss Simone Inzaghi’s future plans and not to be sold anytime soon. The club hierarchy is planning to offer him a new long-term contract, with the current one running until the end of next season.
Furthermore, the player’s hesitance makes this deal even trickier to get over the line, which may prompt Tottenham to turn their attention to other centre-half targets. Conte is also interested in Villarreal’s Pau Torres.