Report: Alessandro Bastoni has now decided who he wants to join this summer - Barcelona or Liverpool
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Liverpool could take advantage of Barcelona’s rickety finances and steal a march in the race to sign Alessandro Bastoni this summer.Despite securing the arrival of Jeremy Jacquet in January, the Reds could still be looking to bring in a direct replacement for Ibrahima Konate at the end of the season.As one of the world’s leading centre-backs, Bastoni would be a dream option for Liverpool, and according to a report from Spanish outlet SPORT, the Reds are ready to fight with Barca to get their man. Liverpool’s forwards ALL deserve to be dropped against Spurs 😶 Which three would you go with against a side shipping so many goals?
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Catherine Ivill/AMA Liverpool can outspend Barca for BastoniAs well as potentially needing to replace Konate, Liverpool have to be on the lookout for a successor to Virgil van Dijk before his contract ends in 2027. The Italian side are reportedly ready to slap a price-tag of around £60m on their star defender.Although the high price is said to have been set with the intention of ‘scaring off’ any interested clubs, it is also apparent that Inter will do business if Bastoni himself also pushes to leave.Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty ImagesREAD MORE: Liverpool learn minimum fee they must pay Real Madrid for Eduardo CamavingaThe scare tactics look like they could work on Barca, with the price reportedly ‘too high’ for the Catalans to reach.
Nevertheless, Camp Nou is claimed to be Bastoni’s priority if he is to leave.Crucially, though, Liverpool are also reported to be interested in the Italy international, and with the Reds said to have ‘much greater financial resources’ than Barcelona, they could use that to their advantage.Barca may reportedly aim to use player swaps as a way to lower the price, but with Liverpool able to pay Inter in full, that may not ultimately matter.Spain would appear to be Bastoni’s pick if it was a straight choice. However, if they stump up the cash, surely Liverpool can sway him towards Anfield.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox