Inter have moved early to prolong the contract of Alessandro Bastoni to avoid the same drawn-out saga they had with Milan Skriniar, who eventually turned down their proposal and will join PSG on a free. Despite that, there haven’t been meaningful advancements in the renewal talks, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.
The deal of the Italian defender runs out in 2024; therefore, the Nerazzurri want to reach agreement before the summer, so they wouldn’t have to make tough decisions. Their brass met his agent Tullio Tinti in December, but they didn’t really get into numbers. The club wanted his pay hike to come into effect from the start of next season, while his representative asked for an immediate one.
There weren’t further summits, but a few contacts took place afterward. Bastoni currently earns €2.8M plus add-ons and wants to get to €5.5M annually, while Inter offered €4M plus bonuses tied to his performances. The gap is substantial.
Manchester City inquired about the center-back in the past and continue to keep tabs. Chelsea asked for him while the two outfits were arranging the return of Romelu Lukaku. The Nerazzurri don’t want to consider a sale since he’s one of the young pillars of the team, but they might have to if the negotiation didn’t progress. The star is hopeful for a positive resolution as he’d like to stay, SportMediaset relays.
Our Take on Bastoni and Inter
It’s close to panic time on the matter of La Beneamata, which realistically has three or four months to strike a deal; otherwise, they’ll have to shop him because they can’t lose another profitable piece for naught. Though, these whispers look more like bargaining tactics from his camp than a real threat.
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