Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni has been considered Barcelona's top priority for months to strengthen their defense, but now doubts have begun to arise about the completion of this transfer.
It has long been signaled that the high price of cardboard will be the main obstacle to a potential agreement.
After sporting director Piero Ausilio stated that Inter have no intention of giving up on Bastoni and have not received any offers for him, president Giuseppe Marotta acknowledged Barcelona's interest.
"I don't deny that Barcelona are interested in him, but at the moment it is a very superficial interest and there is no basis to talk about anything more. As we have always said, the player will only leave if he himself asks for it. At the moment, he is our player, he wants to stay and we are happy with him," he is quoted as saying.
However, according to another report, Barcelona are disappointed that Bastoni has not yet asked to leave. The Catalan club were hoping the player would request a transfer to reduce the price, without which a deal looks unlikely.
On the other hand, Catalan media outlet "MD" presents a slightly different version: according to them, Bastoni has an advanced agreement on personal terms and is awaiting an official offer from Barcelona to postpone his departure.
It is said that the Blaugrana is the only club he would consider leaving for.
However, at the same time, Barcelona have made it known that they have other priorities ahead – specifically strengthening the central striker position.
Meanwhile, according to Italian media (quoted by "AS"), Bastoni has begun to have doubts about leaving.
After winning the Serie A title, he is reconsidering the decision, gaining new appreciation for the club, the fans and the city of Milan.
It seems that neither party has complete clarity on what will happen this summer, but the transfer price could be decisive.
Until Barcelona have a clear idea of their plans in the attacking department and their cost, they may hesitate to spend the bulk of their budget on Bastoni./Express newspaper/
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