Real Madrid reluctant to spend €70m on Mourinho's defensive priority
By OnzeActu · · 2 min read
Mourinho sees in Alessandro Bastoni the ideal profile of a left-handed central defender, but Real Madrid is reluctant to pay the €70 million demanded by Inter, particularly after the investment in Marc Cucurella and other transfer window priorities.
While the summer transfer window is not necessarily yet officially closed in all jurisdictions, Real Madrid has already increased its recruitments. But new coach José Mourinho wants to continue the project and makes the arrival of a left-handed central defender one of his priorities.
The Portuguese likes profiles capable of playing and restarting cleanly from the back, which has sparked rumors around players like Nico Schlotterbeck and Piero Hincapié. According to journalist Miguel Serrano, the track favored by Mourinho, however, leads to Alessandro Bastoni, the central defender of Inter Milan.
The 27-year-old Italian was linked to a departure this summer: FC Barcelona had shown interest before abandoning their lead. Bastoni ticks several boxes sought by Mourinho: left-handed, good ball handling, experience and winning mentality.
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However, Real is reluctant to give up a large sum. The Madrid club recently spent heavily on Marc Cucurella – official transfer at €55m plus €5m bonus – and is reluctant to follow up with another transfer around €70m for Bastoni.
Especially since the Spanish club must also consider the arrival of a midfielder and prepare a significant offer for Michael Olise (Bayern Munich, according to the report), which weighs on the financial considerations.
The Bastoni file could therefore get bogged down: the player would have two offers from Premier League clubs but is currently procrastinating to see if Real makes an offer. It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will manage to convince management to finance this profile at €70 million or if the Madrid club will prioritize other priorities this summer.