Barcelona are interested in signing one of Tottenham’s targets in the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur have been all over the place defensively for well over the last two months.
The defensive organisation, which kept several teams at bay at the start of the season under Thomas Frank, has become fragile. A lot is down to the injury problems and suspensions, forcing the Danish boss to chop and change personnel.
The centre-back partnership of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven has been solid, but when either one of them have not been in the team, the drop-off in quality has been telling. Kevin Danso has deputised well when called upon, but he is not up to the standard to start week in, week out for Tottenham. The same goes for Radu Dragusin, who made his first start last weekend after almost a year out with a serious knee injury.
Barcelona prioritise summer move for Tottenham-linked Inter Milan's Italian defender Alessandro Bastoni.
Barcelona prioritise summer move for Tottenham-linked Inter Milan’s Italian defender Alessandro Bastoni. (Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images)
Barcelona plot summer move for Inter Milan’s defensive wall, Alessandro Bastoni
Reports from December suggested that Tottenham were lining up an audacious swoop for Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni. They were planning to sign him in the past winter transfer window, but nothing as such materialised.
Rated as one of the best defenders in Europe, Alessandro Bastoni has been a pillar of strength for Inter Milan in recent years. The Italian international has been in strong form during the 2025-26 campaign, featuring 28 times in all competitions, scoring once and registering six assists. The 26-year-old is contracted to Inter Milan until June 2028, but his future is currently the subject of much speculation.
According to a report from Spanish news outlet Fichajes, €80m-rated Bastoni has emerged as the primary summer target of Barcelona to fortify their defence. After several months of scouting, Barcelona are preparing an offer of €80 million to convince Inter to sell their prized asset.
Negotiations have progressed secretly but steadily in recent weeks between the Catalan club and Bastoni’s entourage ahead of a potential move to Camp Nou, the report adds.
Micky van de Ven is open to joining Barcelona in the summer
Micky van de Ven is open to joining Barcelona in the summer
Interest in Micky van de Ven could fade
Barcelona setting their sights on Bastoni is actually good news for Tottenham. This is because recent reports claimed that Van de Ven would ‘welcome’ a summer move to Hansi Flick’s club, who are searching for a left-footed centre-back to add balance to their backline.
The Dutch defender, who has been the standout performer for Tottenham this season, is not willing to pen a new contract and wishes to leave in the summer. His desire to join Barcelona speaks volumes about his ambition, but the Spanish giants signing Bastoni may apparently lead to their interest in Van de Ven fading.
Both Bastoni and Van de Ven are similar profile of defenders, and if Barca ends up signing the Inter star, Spurs would get a surprise boost in keeping hold of their valuable asset.