Over the weekend, reports emerged claiming that FC Barcelona had decided to take things slowly and press pause on their pursuit of Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni.
The 27-year-old defender had emerged as the priority target to reinforce the defence next season, and a great deal of progress had been made as far as personal terms with the player were concerned.
However, it was suggested that Barça had decided to take a step back and reassess the situation due to multiple factors, including the potential price tag of the Italian international.
Flick not 100% convinced
Building on that, journalist Matteo Moretto reports that Barcelona have certainly slowed things down as far as their interest in Bastoni is concerned over the past month or so.
Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan
Flick not fully convinced by Bastoni. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
One of the major stumbling blocks, as per the report, is the fact that Barça manager Hansi Flick has some doubts about the Italian centre-back’s suitability for the team’s system and style of play.
The German tactician is not 100% convinced that Bastoni can fit in, and as such, he has already asked Barcelona director Deco to look for alternatives in the market.
So, while not completely abandoning the pursuit of Bastoni, Barça have decided to assess alternatives – options that might be a better tactical fit in Flick’s setup.
Cost an issue as well
Moreover, the transfer fee is also a concern for Barcelona with regard to pressing ahead with the Bastoni operation.
Alessandro Bastoni, Inter Milan player
Bastoni operation has stalled. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)
The idea had been to offer around €55-60 million plus another player, with names like Marc Casado, Ferran Torres, and Hector Fort having been floated.
However, Inter Milan value Bastoni very highly and might not be willing to accept such an arrangement.
With Flick’s doubts and financial concerns, a deal for Bastoni has now taken a backseat at Barça. Whether things change in the coming weeks remains to be seen.