Liverpool will have to pay as much as £80m for Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni in 2026, but a January move is out of the question.
A new central defender needs to be at the top of the Reds’ wishlist next summer, with the Premier League champions leaking goals so far this season.
Ibrahima Konate has been hugely disappointing all season, barring the odd good performance, while even Virgil van Dijk has looked human in some matches, again being criticised by Wayne Rooney earlier this week:
“From a performance level, from what we’ve seen, Van Dijk, I don’t think he’s been at the level he has this season. I said I’m sure as captain he’d be speaking to players, taking the team out for food, which he said he has done. Clearly if he’s felt he’s done that, he’s had to do that, then there’s something not right.”
Giovanni Leoni is a young player still learning his game and is out injured for the rest of the 2025/26 campaign, and there is no guarantee that Joe Gomez will be at Liverpool beyond next summer.
According to Football Insider, the Reds will need to splash out £80m to sign Bastoni from Inter, but there is “no chance” of a January move coming to fruition.
He “doesn’t want to jeopardise his future ahead of the World Cup next summer”, with the 26-year-old expected to be a key man for Italy.
Is Bastoni the answer to Liverpool’s defensive issues?
Bastoni is an outstanding player who should be coming into the best years of his career, with former Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini heaping praise on him, saying:
“I know Alessandro well, he is one of the strongest central defenders around and for me, he is among the best in the world. He is a player that Italy will be able to count on for many years, he just needs to continue working and maintaining the desire to improve.”
Bastoni ticks so many boxes for Liverpool when it comes to their potential centre-back additions, from his age to his quality on the ball – he has completed 90.1% of his passes in the Champions League this season – so this feels like one to keep an eye on.
Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi arguably remains the leading choice, though Reds fans will be split over who they want to come in, and it is easy to see why the Inter ace is possibly on their list.