BARCELONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Alessandro Bastoni is moving further away from Barcelona. The Blaugrana are looking for a left-footed center-back for next season, and the top name on their list so far has been the 27-year-old Inter defender, who reportedly showed great enthusiasm at the idea of wearing the Barça shirt.

According to Catalan media, however, interest in Bastoni has cooled in recent days: Flick prefers a fast center-back, not necessarily left-footed, and in this respect the Italian does not fully meet the coach’s requirements. Bastoni himself, who was waiting for an official move from Barça to try to convince Inter to lower their demands, is said to be growing tired of the situation and, without the full backing of the German coach, will not push for a move.

Moreover, Barça still have other issues to resolve, from the future of Robert Lewandowski to the potential signings of Marcus Rashford and João Cancelo. As for the Polish striker, Laporta would like to extend his contract, but the final decision will be up to Flick. In case of a departure, the club would target Chelsea’s João Pedro as a replacement, a somewhat cheaper option (reportedly €80–100 million) compared to Julián Álvarez.

Cancelo has impressed, but negotiations with Al Hilal are still needed, while for Rashford the €30 million fee agreed last summer with Manchester United could become an insurmountable obstacle, although the English forward has so far repaid the trust shown in him. If Rashford were to return to Old Trafford, one of the names being considered as a replacement would also be AC Milan’s Rafael Leão.

– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews