Alessandro Bastoni has made it clear that he doesn’t wish to leave Inter Milan in the New Year, ending any hopes of a move Liverpool or Manchester United, reports Spanish publication Fichajes.
Bastoni, who is contracted to Inter until 2028, is widely considered to be one of the best centre-backs on the continent and his performances for the Serie A giants have certainly caught the eye.
Premier League pair Liverpool and United, along with rivals Manchester City, have been credited with an interest in the 26-year-old.
The three English sides, among others, have identified Bastoni as the ideal profile to reinforce their respective backlines given his ability to play at both centre-back and left-back.
Bastoni reluctant to leave Inter
However, the player himself is reluctant to leave Inter at the midway stage of the domestic season.
The Italy international is reportedly keen to try his luck in the Premier League in the future but isn’t willing to depart the Nerazzurri at the turn of the year.
Inter, too, consider Bastoni a key player and that it would cost a reported €100m to weigh up the sale of the one of their prized assets.
Liverpool are the likeliest side to firm up their interest in Bastoni given their centre-back issues.
Liverpool set to reinforce in January
The Reds sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen over the summer and while they signed Giovanni Leoni from Parma, they still look light at the back.
Leoni suffered an ACL injury on his debut against Southampton earlier in the season, and combined with the failure to sign Marc Guehi, the Reds are short of options in defence.
Liverpool are expected to make a move for a new centre-back in January, with Guehi considered a target for the defending Premier League champions.
However, any January move for Bastoni at this stage is unlikely even if the Italian remains a target for Arne Slot’s side.
Champions out to extend winning run
After a recent downturn in form, Liverpool returned to winning ways last weekend as they beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Anfield.
And they followed up that victory with a narrow 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League in midweek.
Liverpool will hope to make it three wins on the spin when they face City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Cityzens boss Pep Guardiola will oversee his 1000th game this weekend and he’ll hope to mark the occasion with all three points as they look to keep the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the table.
