According to Sport , Manchester City are eyeing Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni. FC Barcelona are also looking for a centre-back this summer, with Bastoni also on their radar.
REPORT: Manchester City and FC Barcelona to go into a Bidding War over Alessandro Bastoni
Why is he so Sought After?
Manchester City have had major defensive problems this season. Their squad was stricken by injury and the options available, have not been adequate. Nicolas Otamendi has made countless defensive errors and bad decisions. Fernandinho is a defensive-midfielder but has been forced to play in the back after injuries. Even though it is not his natural position, he has been City’s best defender. Their defensive issues have led to their huge gap behind Liverpool in the Premier League. This is why they need Alessandro Bastoni.
Barcelona have also had major defensive issues this season. Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet, and Samuel Umtiti are the only centre-backs available to the Catalan side. But not only is there very little depth in the defence, but there is also very little quality.
Gerard Pique has not reached anywhere close to his levels from previous seasons, as he is now 33 years old. Umtiti has been injury prone this season, being sidelined for 55 days. Barcelona are also planning to sell Umtiti. That leaves Lenglet as the only reliable centre-back Barca have, but he has never been world-class. This is why FC Barcelona need Alessandro Bastoni.
Bastoni would be highly useful to both clubs, so they would be willing to go into a bidding war for the transfer. Bastoni is only 20 years old so he would be able to continue growing at whichever club he goes to. He has 17 appearances under Conte this season and has flourished. He has gone ahead of veteran Diego Godin in the pecking order, showing how much he offers.
Bastoni is a smart and patient defender and is great in one-on-ones. He is also great at starting attacks from the back, which is a skill highly suited to attacking-minded teams such as Barcelona and Man City.
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