According to Italian source Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are ready to make a move to sign Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni this summer.
The Lowdown: Spurs want a left-sided CB
Reported back at the beginning of April, The Athletic claimed that Spurs will prioritise a left-sided centre-back in the summer transfer window.
With full-back Ben Davies playing a make-shift role, Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte has been keen on bringing in high-level competition to that position.
The Athletic further claimed that this has been a priority for Tottenham since last year, and Fabio Paratici even tried to sign Pau Torres from Villareal last summer, but the player rejected the move.
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The Latest: Bastoni up for sale, Spurs are ready
Italian media source Corriere dello Sport recently relayed the comments made by Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta, stating that the club may need to make ‘at least one important sacrifice’ in the transfer market due to financial reasons.
Translated by Sport Witness, Marotta admitted: “We want to be ambitious, but an eye to the balance must be given, as for all teams. I think we will be able to achieve both goals.
“A complicated transfer market awaits us."
According to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Inter need to make around £51.4-59.9m in fees and also reduce their wages by 10 to 15 percent.
When it comes to making that ‘important sacrifice’, the report claims Bastoni’s name is in the ‘front row’, and Paratici, Daniel Levy and Tottenham are 'ready for the assault'.
The Verdict: Would be a fantastic signing
With Conte’s attacking style of play, the addition of Bastoni would complement Spurs’ system well.
This is demonstrated by his underlying stats; according to FB Ref, the defender ranks in the 99th percentile for progressive passes received and in the 97th percentile for shot-creating actions when compared with positional peers across Europe.
With Inter potentially being forced into a sale to free up funds, this could be the prime opportunity for Paratici to swoop for the Italy international, dubbed 'perfect' for Conte's three-man defence during their time together at Inter.
We believe this could prove to be a fantastic signing for Conte.
In other news: Tottenham's first summer signing is imminent!