Manchester United are allegedly preparing a major offer for Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni ahead of the summer transfer season.
United are attempting to obtain defensive reinforcements and are said to have a number of candidates on their wish list.
This season, many defenders on the club’s roster have missed games due to physical ailments. Diogo Dalot is the only defender who has not missed a single match due to injury.
Erik ten Hag currently has just one senior centre-back who is healthy and eligible for selection: Harry Maguire. The England international was obliged to join Casemiro at the heart of the Red Devils’ backline in the weekend’s penalty shootout victory against Coventry City.
Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane are both poised to depart Old Trafford at the end of the season when their contractsbeen speculated that United might be willing to split ways with Maguire and Victor Lindelof if thl appealing bids for them. Given all of this, it’s understandable that the club’s executives are looking at other possibilities.
The 20-time English champions have been linked to Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Jean-Clair Todibo (OGC Nice), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Max Kilman (Wolves), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting Lisbon), and Jhon Lucumí (Bologna), among others.
According to TV Play and Spanish daily Fichajes, Erik ten Hag’s side is also interested in Inter’s Bastoni.
According to the newspaper, United is planning a “super offer” for Bastoni, who is regarded as the “best central defender in Serie A”.
“Manchester United is looking to strengthen its defensive line and is willing to spend around 60 million euros to secure the hiring of Alessandro Bastoni during the next summer transfer market in 2024.”
“United ‘s focus on Bastoni reflects their strategy of acquiring promising young talent to strengthen their squad.”
According to Fichajes, “The offer of approximately €60 million underlines United’s determination under Erik Ten Hag to secure Bastoni’s services, which could be an important move to strengthen their defence and improve their chances in future competitions.”
It is reported that many other prominent European teams are chasing Bastoni, however no names have been revealed.
This season, Bastoni has been an integral part of Inter, who were crowned Serie A winners on Monday evening after a thrilling 2-1 derby victory over AC Milan.
The 25-year-old has made 24 top-flight appearances for the club, contributing to 15 clean sheets. Inter have only surrendered 13 goals this season when Bastoni is on the field.
The Italy international is ranked 94th and 99th percentiles for goals surrendered per 90 minutes and clean sheets earned, respectively. Bastoni is also in the 81st and 74th percentiles for interceptions and aerial duels won.
His passing and ball-handling abilities are among his best qualities. Bastoni, a naturally left-sided centre-back, ranks 92nd in pass completion percentage and 97th in successful passes to teammates.
The United target averages 68.39 passes per game and has an excellent pass completion percentage of 90.02%. Furthermore, he makes around 0.90 critical passes every match, which results in significant scoring chances. Bastoni’s xA (Expected Assists) is 0.26 per 90 minutes, putting him in the top 7% of Serie A players in this category.
It’s clear why he’s considered as one of Italy’s best players and would be a wonderful addition to the squad at Old Trafford.
Read Also: Sir Jim Ratcliffe holds talks with ex-Chelsea boss to replace Ten Hag at Man United now
Read Also: Sir Jim Ratcliffe in discussions to send three Manchester United flops to Nice in summer clearout