Manchester City are interested in signing Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni this summer. He is a promising young talent and could become a perfect partner for Ruben Dias in the long run.
A recent report from FCInterNews (via the Manchester Evening News) revealed that City have spoken to the player’s representatives after being impressed with his Serie A appearances this season.
However, they are not the only club interested and facing a battle against local rivals Manchester United and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Bastoni moved to Inter from Atalanta back in 2017 for £ 28m, which was a huge fee for a relatively untested player at the time. He stayed in Bergamo for another season as part of the deal before spending an additional campaign on loan to Parma.
He has played 30 appearances in Serie A during this period and has played a key role in Inter’s push for the Scudetto, and he has proven to be a reliable top-level player, even though he is only 23 years old.
It’s a very similar story to Dias, who moved to Etihad Stadium in 2020 from Benfica for £ 65m. No one could have foreseen how good he was at the time, but he helped the Citizens regain their Premier League crown and was rewarded by being named the league’s player of the season.
Should Man City pick up Bastoni?
Yes
None
City could repeat this success by buying Bastoni, if you compare the statistics for both players, he is already excellent in some areas.
Baptized “particular”By Squawka reporter Muhammad Butt, he has tackled a higher percentage of dribblers this season at 58% compared to 44% for Dias. The Italian is also impressive in the air after winning 63% of his air duels, beating Dias’ 60%.
It makes sense for Guardiola to sign a player like Bastoni, and at such a young age he could form a partnership with Dias that would help ensure City remain successful, even after the Spanish manager leaves.
Additional lure to the player is uncovered when you see that he was described as a “phenomenon” by Serie A expert Conor Clancy in an interview with Football FanCast. On that proof, he is clearly blessed with mesmerizing talent, but valued at £ 54 million, he will not come cheap.
A key trait needed to be a successful defender in a Guardiola team is the calmness of the ball, and with 272 touches in the defensive penalty area, Bastoni has also shown that he is comfortable with the ball at his feet.
It will require a large fee to persuade Inter to sell, but the chance to play in the Premier League and under one of the world’s best managers is definitely something the player would not say no to.
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