Some transfer sagas look certain, right up until the moment they don’t.
For months, the narrative around Alessandro Bastoni felt like it was heading in one direction.
And then something shifted.
Alessandro Bastoni’s desire to leave Inter fades
According to Gazzetta.it, something has changed with Alessandro Bastoni over the last few weeks, with his desire to leave Inter Milan “diminishing” significantly as the summer approaches.
The turning point, it seems, was May 3.
The day Inter Milan sealed the Scudetto against Parma at San Siro.
That crowd reaction moved him.
The Coppa Italia triumph against Lazio followed days later, a second trophy in the space of weeks.
A domestic double.
A fanbase that never stopped believing in him.
Suddenly, leaving doesn’t feel as straightforward as it once did.
For Barcelona, the news arrives at a difficult time, and from multiple directions.
And the financial gap between the clubs has always been a significant obstacle.
Inter value Bastoni at approximately €70 million.
Barcelona had anticipated a fee closer to €50 million, a difference that has proved impossible to bridge.
The Catalan club had even explored the possibility of including players as makeweights to reduce the headline fee.
That approach hasn’t gained traction either.
And now, from the Barcelona dugout itself, doubts are emerging.
Flick has since asked sporting director Deco to explore alternatives.
When the manager starts looking elsewhere, the pursuit rarely recovers.
Barcelona’s situation is also complicated by the fact that a replacement for Robert Lewandowski remains the club’s most urgent priority.
Meaning the defensive budget sits second in the queue.
With only one meaningful new signing per summer in recent windows, the question of whether Bastoni represents the best use of limited funds has become a genuine internal debate.
For Bastoni himself, the picture is becoming clearer by the day.
He would be more than happy to stay and compete at the highest level with Inter.
A contract extension at San Siro is now the most likely outcome.
And the double changed everything.
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