Fabrizio Romano has shot down reports of Alessandro Bastoni moving to Chelsea this summer.
According to reports in Italy this week, including in Gazzetta dello Sport, Chelsea made a €50 million bid for Inter Milan star Bastoni.
However, Romano says that the chances of Chelsea being successful in any negotiation are very slim.
Bastoni to Chelsea?
Speaking on Fabrizio Romano’s official Italian YouTube channel, Matteo Moretto explained that there are no negotiations in progress between Chelsea and Inter, and there has not been an official bid from the Blues for the player.
Moretto says that Bastoni is a very important player for Inter and is regarded as unsellable.
The transfer journalist says that it would take a sensational change of air for there to be any chance of Bastoni joining Chelsea.
Enzo Maresca’s side have been heavily linked with a number of centre-backs over the past week, following news that Levi Colwill is likely to miss the entire season with an ACL injury.
Bastoni still has three years remaining on his current contract at San Siro and considering his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at over €80m, Chelsea’s reported offer was never going to be close to being high enough anyway.
Academy graduate Josh Acheampong started in the middle of Chelsea’s backline during their 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday and although he produced a fantastic defensive display, his lack of progressive passing impacted the Blues’ ability to create meaningful breakthroughs.
Bastoni would be the perfect player to fix this issue.
The Italy international has established himself as one of the world’s best defenders over the past few years would be perfect to fulfil the role Enzo Maresca wants of a ball-playing and press-breaking centre back.
Bastoni is one of the best forward passers out of defence in the game, with pin-point short, medium and long-range passes. His trademark is his long, diagonal cross-field pass from left to right.
Bastoni boasts a glorious left foot and regularly pushes up into midfield or even further up the pitch towards the left wing to help construct attacks and create chances.
He is naturally suited to the left centre-back role in a back three, which is where he has played almost his entire career at Inter, but he can also play in the centre of the three.
Despite only being 26, Bastoni has over 300 appearances for club and country in his career, winning two Serie A titles, Euro 2020 and reaching two Champions League finals.
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