As part of the squad planning for next season, the signing of a central defender is one of the main topics. The priority is to bring in a centre-forward, but the next step is to reinforce the centre of defence. Deco has been looking for some time in the market to see which players can adapt to the needs of the team, always taking into account what will happen with Andreas Christensen, who has not yet sealed his renewal. The sporting management wants a left-footed centre-back who excels in the air. The main candidate who meets these requirements is Alessandro Bastoni. The Inter Milan defender is also a proven player, despite being only 26 years old. He has been a regular in an Inter side that has dominated Serie A in recent years and reached the Champions League final. He is also close to reaching 50 caps for his country. Change of scenery Although formal negotiations have not yet taken place, Barcelona have sounded out the Italian footballer, who has expressed his desire to play for the club next season. He would be willing to make the move and play at the Camp Nou. Inter are also willing to negotiate, although talks between the two clubs have not yet begun. Market price The problem will be the player's price tag. His market value is around 70 million euros, a very high amount. In addition, Barcelona continues to have financial fair play problems for next season. It is true that they are confident of reaching the 1:1 rule in the next market, but even so, that does not mean a blank check, as they will have to balance the books with the signing of the striker. Green light with Inter For this reason, and given that Barcelona is now entering the most important part of the season, the club is limiting itself to sounding out both the players and the clubs that own the reinforcements it needs. In this sense, it already has Bastoni's approval to try to sign him for next season. However, it is not the only option As in all markets, Deco has several plans in case the first targets are not realised. The sporting director has other names on his agenda, such as Tottenham's Van de Ven, who is also liked by the Catalan club. Another possible candidate is Borussia Dortmund defender Schlotterbeck. Both are left-footed and their price would be lower than Bastoni's, as their market value is around 65 and 55 million euros, respectively. Another possible option is Vuskovic (Hamburg), although he is right-footed and his price would be around 60 million euros.
