Inter Milan have priced defender Alessandro Bastoni at £60 million amid strong interest from Liverpool as the summer window approaches. The Reds want Bastoni to bolster their defence after letting new head coach Arne Slot assess the squad he inherited.
Liverpool signed Bastoni’s Italian compatriot, Federico Chiesa, as the only bargain signing last summer and avoided any further transfer activity. However, their recent elimination from the Champions League and the Carabao Cup final loss have reminded them of their weaknesses.
The Reds faced a similar issue in their last season under Jurgen Klopp as some players struggled to maintain consistency. Liverpool cannot afford this cycle to repeat itself next season, particularly when Slot has used this season to make assessments.
Alessandro Bastoni perfectly fits the profile that Liverpool require as Virgil van Dijk’s teammate and eventual successor
Alessandro Bastoni perfectly fits the profile that Liverpool require as Virgil van Dijk’s teammate and eventual successor
The defence department is one of the key areas that require recruitment during the summer to nullify numerous persisting weaknesses. Furthermore, there is an ongoing contract issue surrounding Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk that the club needs to resolve immediately.
Meanwhile, Joe Gomez has remained unreliable with his fitness as he has suffered from persisting injuries throughout his Liverpool career. Jarell Quansah has improved after the nightmare start to this season but remains far from the standards required at Liverpool.
With fitness a perennial concern for Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool needs more depth in their defence, irrespective of Van Dijk’s future. Konate enjoyed more availability this season but the hectic schedule each season is relentless to continuously take such risks.
According to Fichajes, Inter have placed a £60 million for Bastoni amid interest from Liverpool to bolster their defence department. Bastoni has all the qualities and experience to compete and eventually succeed the Reds’ best centre-back, Van Dijk.
Alessandro Bastoni: Tactical and statistical analysis
Liverpool lacks a left-footed centre-back which is another criteria that the 25-year-old could fulfil at the club. Standing at 190cm, Bastoni started his career as a left-back and shifted to the centre-back position, equipped to adapt easily.
The Italian can play as part of the back-three and also as a back-two in the defence if required. The 25-year-old positional sense helps him both in and out of possession, acting as a quarter-back like Van Dijk.
According to Fotmob, Bastoni has four assists in the Serie A, ranking at the 100th percentile as a defender. The 25-year-old has enjoyed 91% passing accuracy with 126 accurate long balls also ranked at the 100th percentile among defenders.
Furthermore, Bastoni has a 58.3% successful dribble rate, while winning 34 fouls so far in the Serie A campaign. These stats showcase his ability to bring the ball forward from the back and participate in the buildup play.
Bastoni has won 115 duels with a 59.3% success rate in the Serie A along with 40 aerial duels with a 62.5% success rate. The 25-year-old has mostly played as a left-sided centre-defender in the back three for his club and country this season.
Bastoni featured for Italy in the UEFA Nations League A Champions Quarter-final’s second leg against Germany, losing the tie 5-4 in aggregate. However, Italy drew Germany 3-3 in the game which involved a rare error from the 25-year-old that led to a Germany goal. Bastoni finished the game with the most tackles (four) and the most duels won (10), despite the under-whelming first-half performance.
Conclusion
Bastoni has just entered the peak years of his career and defenders usually perform better at the latter stages. Furthermore, the financial instability of Inter gives Liverpool a golden opportunity to find good competition and a successor for Van Dijk at a more reasonable price.
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However, only time will tell whether Liverpool’s interest is serious and if Bastoni is willing to make the transition. Rest assured, Bastoni is arguably the best option to eventually succeed Van Dijk at Liverpool in the spine of the defence and the £60 million price tag from Inter is a very reasonable price tag for the Italian.