Inter Milan has stated it has no intention of selling defender Alessandro Bastoni despite interest from Barcelona. The Serie A champions emphasized their desire to retain the centre-back. Club officials dismissed any transfer talk as premature.
Inter Milan, fresh off clinching their 21st Scudetto with a 2-0 victory over Parma on Sunday, responded decisively to reports of Barcelona's interest in Alessandro Bastoni. The Catalan club has identified the Italian centre-back as a top target to bolster their defense this summer, but Inter made clear it will resist any approach. “I’ll say it again: we want to keep Bastoni,” sporting director Piero Ausilio told QSVS. “We are happy to have him. Inter certainly won’t be the ones calling anyone to offer him. He’s a huge asset for Inter and for Italy and we want to hold on to him.” Ausilio added that no inquiries have been received and Inter will not initiate contact. CEO Beppe Marotta echoed this stance in an interview with Radio Rai, acknowledging Barcelona's interest but describing it as superficial. “I won’t deny there is interest from Barcelona, but it is still very superficial and not concrete,” Marotta said. “As we’ve always said, a player leaves only if he expresses the desire to go. At the moment, he is our player, he wants to stay and we are happy with him.” Inter's firm position underscores Bastoni's importance to the squad following their title triumph.
