Inter Transfer Market: Barcelona Returns to the Fray—The Blaugrana Are Ready to Make Their Move

Barcelona is once again setting its sights on Inter. After last summer’s attempts to sign Lautaro Martinez—which were firmly rejected by Inter’s management—the Catalan club has reportedly identified another top target on Inter’s roster: According to rumors reported by TeamTalk, Hansi Flick has in fact asked his club to strengthen the defense ahead of next season, and among the players most highly regarded by the German coach is Alessandro Bastoni.

The news comes amid the ongoing situation surrounding Virgil van Dijk. The Dutch defender, whose contract with Liverpool is set to expire, has reportedly offered himself to Barcelona on a free transfer, but the prospect does not fully convince Flick, who intends to prioritize an investment geared toward the future rather than a solution offering immense experience but with limited long-term potential.

For Inter, however, Bastoni is considered a key player from both a technical and strategic standpoint. This makes it anything but easy to envision a deal, especially given the stance the Nerazzurri have already taken in recent months toward Barcelona, who had previously sounded out the possibility of signing the same Italian national team player—who scored against Turkey on Monday night.

It therefore remains to be seen whether Barcelona will decide to turn its interest in Bastoni into a full-scale transfer push for a player whose contract expires in 2028 and who has not yet renewed it. For now, these are just rumors and internal assessments, but the Italian defender is reportedly at the top of Flick’s list of preferred targets to strengthen the Catalan backline for next season.