Chelsea and Man City in transfer pursuit of £60m man

Chelsea and Manchester City have both been linked with a move for Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni, according to a recent report from Italian sports media outlet CalcioMercato. Bastoni is a key player for Inter Milan and they are very keen for him to remain at the club - in July of this year, he signed a new deal with the Italian giants that will keep him at the San Siro until 2028.

As such, they are likely to command a hefty fee for him - it is thought that Inter currently value the Italian international at around £60 million. He has been highly rated for several years now, despite being just 24 - in 2020, he was included in a list of young players to watch out for in the future by UEFA. Should Bastoni leave the club, it is likely that Inter would action a transfer for Torino’s Perr Schuurs to fill in the gaps - but they won’t move for him until Bastoni is sold.

Which of the two clubs needs Alessandro Bastoni more?

Bastoni has a key attribute in his locker that sets him apart. He is a left-footed centre-back, something that is becoming more and more coveted in the modern game, because they allow teams to explore more passing options when they are trying to play the ball out of defence.

City already have two left-footed central defenders in their squad (Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol) while Chelsea have three (Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill and Malang Sarr). Therefore, neither are in desperate need of one presently. Chelsea are somewhat more defensively frail than the Citizens - Pep Guardiola’s men have conceded seven goals in the Premier League so far this season, while Chelsea have let in nine.

On the evidence of this, neither club is in dire need of a new centre-back - let alone a left-footed one. Nevertheless, their interest seems apparent - but we will need to wait until January to see if either team will make a move.