Manchester United have joined Tottenham Hotspur in the pursuit of Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni, reputed journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reports.
Bastoni is widely regarded as one of the best central defenders in Serie A, but he could be on the move this summer amid the Nerazzurri’s financial concerns.
Spurs are said have already initiated contact with Inter and Bastoni, but United have moved in ‘the last hours’ and could offer stiff competition in the pursuit.
Bastoni made his first-team debut for the Nerazzurri during the 2019/2020 campaign, and has since amassed 118 appearances across all competitions for the club.
The Italian has impressed with his all-round defensive work. Last season, he registered an average of 1.4 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 1.8 clearances per league game.
However, his main strength has been his quality distribution. The former Atalanta graduate completed over 50 passes on average with a 89.6 per cent success rate.
This is an attribute that would suit United and manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutch tactician likes to work with ball-carrying defenders, who can play out from the back.
It has been previously claimed that Inter would want at least €60 million to sanction his departure, and it remains to be seen whether United are willing pay that.
United’s main competition will be Spurs with Conte having managed Bastoni at Inter. Judging by recent speculation, the duo may compete for multiple stars.
United recently tracked the Austria-Denmark game where they were keeping tabs on Christian Eriksen and Konrad Laimer, who are also on Spurs’ radar.
Eriksen in particular has hugely impressed Ten Hag since his recovery from a shock cardiac arrest. The 52-year-old believes the Dane could play a key role in the rebuild.