Liverpool are reportedly prioritising signing Inter Milan star Alessandro Bastoni, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
Despite winning the Premier League title last term, the Reds decided to refresh the squad last summer. They signed six new players by spending big money.
However, the Merseyside club have endured a disappointing campaign under Arne Slot thus far this season, sitting 14 points behind table topper Arsenal.
After letting Jarell Quansah leave, Liverpool bought Giovanni Leoni from Parma last year. They even came close to signing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace to strengthen the defence, but the Eagles eventually blocked the move. Now, the Englishman has decided to join Manchester City in this transfer window.
Leoni has been ruled out for the rest of this season due to a serious knee injury. As a result, Slot has been left with Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Virgil Van Dijk as the centre-back options.
However, Konate’s long-term future at Anfield is currently uncertain as his existing deal is set to expire at the end of this season, while Gomez has struggled to stay fit in recent years. Moreover, Van Dijk is edging closer towards the twilight of his career.
Now, Fichajes state that after missing out on Guehi, Liverpool have shifted focus to alternative options to reinforce the backline and have identified Bastoni as a ‘priority’ target as they want a readymade player.
Bastoni to Liverpool
As the Italian has entered the final two and a half years of his current contract, speculation surrounding his future has started emerging, and the player is ‘seriously considering’ leaving Inter to take a new challenge in his career.
Liverpool are even prepared to launch a formal £87m proposal to persuade the Nerazzurri to cash-in on him. Apart from the Inter Milan star, Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck is also on Slot’s wishlist.
Bastoni is a technically gifted left-footed centre-back and is extremely comfortable playing out from the back. He has enjoyed great success at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in recent years and has secured his place in the Italian national team’s starting line-up.
Bastoni is a top-class player and could be a shrewd acquisition for Liverpool should they eventually manage to secure his service in January or next summer.
