Alessandro Bastoni: Barça could go for the Inter center-back in 2026

Alessandro Bastoni has aroused the interest of FC Barcelona and is already considered one of the priority options to reinforce the defense in the summer of 2026. The 26-year-old center-back has consolidated a great season with Inter Milan, where he reached the final of the Champions League.

However, the 'nerazzurri' team sees the Italian as an immovable piece in the club, so his arrival at Barça will not be easy. The player born in Casalmaggiore has a contract until June 2028, so Barça will have to pay a high amount to sign him.

The value of the termination clause in Bastoni's contract has not been publicly revealed; however, his market value is 80 million euros according to Transfermarkt. In that sense, Inter will hardly let him leave for a lower price.

Alessandro Bastoni: a center-back with Barça DNA

The Italian defender is undoubtedly one of the most complete center-backs in Europe today. He has an exquisite exit with the ball and has shown it continuously in the Milan team, either playing quickly with the full-backs so that they have a great display on the counterattack, or with deep passes that break the rival lines creating scoring opportunities.

In that same line, the '95' of Inter Milan has a very good reading of the game, allowing him to anticipate the passes of the rival, he knows how to defend in a high line thanks to his speed and great technique to turn towards his goal, and also stay back in the defensive line.

Last season, Bastoni added 2 goals and 6 assists in 57 games (4,196 minutes) with the Lombard team. In the Champions League, he started in 12 of the 15 games, including the final. In the victory against Sparta Prague (0-1), he gave the assist for the winning goal scored by Lautaro Martínez.

Bastoni would be the first Italian of Barça in two decades

First of all, it must be taken into account that the most important factor for this operation to be achieved is the player's desire to sign with the blaugrana club and join the ranks of Hansi Flick. The defender may be motivated to leave in search of a new challenge that takes his career to another level if Inter closes another season without titles in 2026.

Would Alessandro Bastoni be an ideal center-back for FC Barcelona? The last Italian defender to defend the 'culé' shirt was Gianluca Zambrotta, a full-back who played 85 games between 2006 and 2008, scoring 3 goals. Previously, five other internationals with the 'azzurra' played for Barça: Demetrio Albertini (six months in 2005), Francesco Coco (2001-02), Thiago Motta (2001-07) and Andrea Orlandi (2005-07, only with the subsidiary).