Chelsea are ready to battle rivals Tottenham Hotspur for the signing of Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni in the summer transfer window, according to reports via Fichajes.
Graham Potter is believed to be planning a mass summer clear-out which could see as many as eight players sold in bid to trim his first-team squad ahead of next season.
The former Brighton manager has been backed massively by club owner Todd Boehly following the signing of Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British record £107m transfer fee, a deal that eclipsed the £100m Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish in 2021.
According to the Evening Standard, Potter wants to work with a maximum of 25 players next season, meaning the West Londoners could offload the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic – who are deemed surplus to requirements.
Chelsea’s top transfer priority is to bring in a proven goal scorer and already have a deal in place to sign RB Leipzig striker Christopher Nkunku in the summer worth over £50million, however, signing a defender is also on the cards and Bastoni has been identified as a prime target.
The online news portal cites a report from Gazzetta dello Sport that claims Bastoni’s contract will expire in the summer of 2024 and Inter might sell him if they fail to agree to an extension with the defender.
Reinforcement
Bastoni is regarded as one of the best centre-backs in Serie A following his inspired performances for Inter Milan. He has racked up 30 appearances across all competitions and provided five assists as Inter lie 3rd in the league table with 50 points.
According to the report by Fichajes, Chelsea have identified the Italian as a summer target and have joined Tottenham in the race to sign the 23-year-old centre-back.
Tottenham were first linked with a move for Bastoni in January and the report suggests that are lining-up a bid for him ahead of the summer as they look to lure him to North London.
The Italy defender, who is valued at around £49m by Transfermarkt, has been a key cog in Inter Milan’s defence since joining them from Atalanta in 2017. Last season, he featured in 44 games and made four contributions as they clinched the Coppa Italia.
He would be a terrific signing for Tottenham but not only will they face competition from Chelsea, but Man City are also reportedly showing an interest, so it could be a fierce battle if the player opts to come to England.
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