Inter market, new attempt by a big name for Alessandro Bastoni

Barcelona has begun to move ahead of next summer, and the line is clear: there is not only to think about the attack, but the defense must also be reinforced. In particular, the sporting management is looking for a left-handed central player with international experience, capable of holding up to the big stages and adapting to the team’s tactical needs. Three names, very different in cost and feasibility, arise from this need.

The first is the one that gets everyone in the blaugrana offices to agree: Alessandro Bastoni. The Inter defender, on whom Bayern Munich has also long had its antennae up, represents the ideal profile for Barça’s model of play. A natural left-hander, strong in setting, solid in marking and already used to competing at the highest level in Europe. The problem, however, is all about context. Bastoni has a contract until 2028 and a valuation around 80 million euros. Numbers that, at present, make the operation almost unfeasible. Not surprisingly, he is considered more of a long-term dream in Barcelona than a concrete target for the upcoming market.

That is precisely why the club is keeping more realistic avenues open. One leads to Marc Guehi, an English center back who has shown great continuity in the Premier League. Guehi is not a pure left-back like Bastoni, but he offers reliability, leadership and good international experience, gained both with the club and the national team. His profile is seen as a more financially sustainable solution, while still providing an immediate leap in quality.

The other alternative is Nico Schlotterbeck. The German defender from Borussia Dortmund more directly meets the required identikit: left-handed, physical, aggressive and used to playing with a high defensive line. Schlotterbeck has already tasted the big European nights and, compared to Bastoni, presents lower costs and greater room for maneuver in negotiations.