Report: Mega-money contract to be offered to 'crucial' Liverpool transfer target

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Alessandro Bastoni moving to Liverpool has been mentioned as a possibility for some time now.Rousing The Kop first revealed back in November that Bastoni had been mooted for an Anfield switch.Those links have not gone away, with FC Barcelona also joining the race, but it now looks as though the Italian could sign a new contract with Inter Milan instead of securing a summer transfer. Arne Slot’s expected front three without Salah, what changes would you make? 🔄 No room for Rio again!

Salah is ruled out vs Brighton and Frimpong is a doubt. Looks like Gakpo will return…Liverpool predicted XI vs Brighton – GRV Media Alessandro Bastoni could sign big-money Inter Milan contractBastoni, who it was thought could cost somewhere in the region of £60m, is under contract with the Serie A side until 2028.However, a report from TeamTalk has now claimed that Inter plans to offer the stopper a ‘mega-money contract extension’, which could see him become one of the highest-paid players in the Serie A moving forward.The deal, should it go ahead, would mean the centre-back, who Fabrizio Romano says is viewed as ‘crucial’ by the Nerazzurri, is tied down until the summer of 2030.While Bastoni has praised Virgil van Dijk in the past, it is added in that report that he is happy in Milan, and there is a willingness from both parties to come to some sort of agreement.That could now force Liverpool to look elsewhere this summer if they want to sign a centre-back, though their options do appear to be limited.Liverpool have been linked to Nico Schlotterbeck of Borussia Dortmund for a while now.However, it has emerged this year that Schlotterbeck would prefer Real Madrid.Aside from the German, Marc Guehi has already snubbed a move to Anfield in favour of Manchester City, and if Bastoni opts to stay at Inter, there aren’t really any other natural centre-backs available who the Merseyside outfit have shown an interest in.That could create an issue this summer if Ibrahima Konate’s contract runs down and he leaves for free.Joe Gomez could take up a more central role, of course, but there has also been a claim that the defender will leave Liverpool before the 2026/27 campaign begins.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox