Barcelona monitors the brilliance of its "missed opportunity" during the international break

Alessandro Bastoni was one of the most prominent names on the transfer market last summer, and the mystery surrounding his future kept everyone talking. For several weeks, his name was linked with Barcelona, especially when every indication pointed to the Catalans reinforcing their defensive line.

Barcelona chose to prioritise other positions, though, and ended up signing no centre-back at all.

Among the players Barça monitored, Bastoni ranked as one of the most admired, both for his potential and for his ability to fit the footballing philosophy of German coach Hansi Flick, according to Catalan newspaper Sport, which labelled the Italian defender a "missed opportunity".

Real Madrid then studied the possibility of signing the Italian too, but their interest never became an official offer. So Bastoni stayed at Inter Milan, where he remains a key element in the Nerazzurri project.

Inter's stance effectively slammed the door shut. They refused to negotiate his departure for anything short of a huge sum approaching 80 million euros. Either way, Bastoni has started the season proving he is a top-class defender.

The performance and the goals

Bastoni has returned to being one of the pillars of Inter's defence, leading the back line and staying central to the build-up play, one of his most notable qualities. His importance stretches beyond his club, though. He is also one of the stars of the Italian national team, and he has added to his game a facet that was never usual in his style: scoring.

During the current international break, Bastoni found the net in both matches he played for Italy. The first came against Turkey (4-1). The second arrived on Friday against France, where his goal earned the Azzurri a precious 1-1 draw.

Goals were never one of Bastoni's hallmarks across his career. Last season he managed only two for Inter in 40 matches. But he is finding the net more easily at the start of this campaign, specifically in the shirt of the Italian national team.