Chelsea and Liverpool thunder into race for world-class Italy star as £70m price set

Alessandro Bastoni has once again emerged as a transfer option for Barcelona, while TEAMtalk understands Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City also retain an interest in the Inter Milan defender.

The 27-year-old is widely regarded as one of the finest central defenders in world football and was the subject of significant transfer interest during the summer window.

We revealed at the time that Barcelona pushed strongly for Bastoni, but Inter stood firm on their valuation of close to £70million for the Italy international.

We can now confirm that Bastoni is once again on the radar of several leading European clubs, with Chelsea and Liverpool maintaining their interest in the defender.

The Blues were among the clubs to show an interest during the summer and remain admirers as they continue to shape their defence under Xabi Alonso.

Chelsea have moved towards a back-three system, and there is a feeling within the club that they could still be short of the ideal central figure to operate in that structure.

Bastoni’s ability to defend in a back-three, while also possessing the technical quality and passing range to contribute in possession, would make him an obvious fit for Alonso’s system.

However, Chelsea face competition from Liverpool, who are also actively planning for the future of their defence.

We understand Liverpool have already done significant work on Bastoni and continue to view him as an option as they prepare to move on from Virgil van Dijk.

The Reds are looking at a number of defensive targets ahead of 2027 and Bastoni remains a player firmly on their radar.

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Alessandro Bastoni open to Prem switch but Barcelona still keen

Barcelona’s interest in Bastoni also remains, despite the collapse of their proposed move during the summer.

We understand Bastoni was convinced that a switch to Barcelona was close at the time, with the player prioritising the move as negotiations progressed.

However, Inter’s determination to secure close to £70million for their star defender ultimately proved a major obstacle.

Barcelona are now making moves within their squad as they assess the possibility of adding another defender, with the club considering their options ahead of the next transfer windows.

The Catalan giants could even explore the possibility of strengthening in defence as early as January, although the summer remains a more realistic timeframe for a major addition.

As part of those considerations, Barcelona are also assessing whether there could be opportunities to raise funds through player sales, with Dani Olmo among the players who could be considered if the right proposal arrives.

That could potentially help create the financial room for Barcelona to revisit some of their defensive targets, with Bastoni remaining a player of significant interest.

Bastoni’s preference for Barcelona at that stage should not be interpreted as a reluctance to move to England.

Indeed, we can confirm that intermediaries have made it clear to the interested Premier League clubs that Bastoni is very much open to a move to England.

His decision to prioritise Barcelona in the summer was based on the fact that the opportunity was progressing and not because he had ruled out a move to the Premier League.

That could prove significant if Chelsea or Liverpool decide to step up their interest.

Man City also interested in £70m-rated Italy star

Man City are another club who continue to retain an interest in Bastoni. City’s position could become particularly interesting if Ruben Dias were to leave the Etihad Stadium.

There has been interest in the Portugal international, particularly from Saudi Arabia, and any move for Dias could create a vacancy in Enzo Maresca’s defence.

Inter, meanwhile, remain under no immediate pressure to sell one of their most important players.

Their previous valuation of close to £70million gives an indication of the level required to tempt the Serie A giants into doing business.

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