EXCLUSIVE: Inter won't sell 'pivotal' Alessandro Bastoni to Tottenham

Suraj Radia

• Updated: 14 Jun 2022 15:03 CDT
• 3 min read

Alessandro Bastoni will not leave Inter Milan for a transfer to Tottenham as he is considered a pivotal member of the team, FootballTransfers can confirm.

The Italian defender was a top target for Spurs boss Antonio Conte but sources have told FootballTransfers that the 23-year-old will be staying at Inter this summer, with CEO Giuseppe Marotta seeing him as being crucial to the side.

We can report that Inter Milan will have to sacrifice a number of first-team players this summer window owing to their financial predicament but Bastoni will not be one of those to depart.

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The news supports comments from Bastoni's agent Tullio Tinti, who also confirmed his client would not be leaving Inter after a meeting with club officials.

What now for Tottenham's pursuit of Bastoni?

The news will be a bitter blow for Conte who had earmarked Bastoni as his number one choice for their priority position of left centre-back.

However, with plenty of time still to go in the transfer window, Spurs may choose to take the comments as a challenge rather than a warning.

Inter must sell some key players this summer and, with Spurs willing to pay upwards of €60 million for him, the money may prove to be too appealing.

The Italian side were also reluctant to sell Romelu Lukaku last summer however, Chelsea's €115m was eventually accepted and the club reinvested the money into the team.

With Inter keen on signing Torino defender Gleison Bremer, they would likely need to sell someone for big money to afford the Brazilian's reported €40m asking price.

The club could choose to cash in on Milan Skriniar, who was once a target for Tottenham, though he would likely command a smaller fee than Bastoni.

Spurs, though, remain desperate to sign Bastoni and do not have an immediate alternative lined up, meaning this saga may continue long into the summer.