According to The Telegraph, Tottenham are interested in signing Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni, who Antonio Conte knows well.
What’s the story?
Well, Fabio Paratici is keen to bring young central defenders to Tottenham, and Bastoni is on the shortlist.
Newcastle target Sven Botman also finds himself on the list, as Spurs look to back Conte with reinforcements.
The Telegraph believe Tottenham are focused on bolstering their backline, which is lacking standout centre-back options.
As things stand, Conte has Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga, Joe Rodon, Davinson Sanchez, Ben Davies and Cristian Romero as options.
Romero, Davies and Dier have done well under Conte, as has Sanchez to some extent, although an upgrade on Rodon and Tanganga must be found.
As aforesaid, Conte knows Bastoni well. The 22-year-old made 41 appearances in all competitions last season as the pair lifted the Serie A title.
So far this season, the youngster has continued his progress by making 27 appearances in all competitions for Inter Milan.
Tottenham could sign a gem in Alessandro Bastoni
In our view, Bastoni could be the next big thing to come out of Italian football, so Spurs should be at the front of the queue.
Conte and Paratici have excellent contacts in Italy, and they should put them to good use – Bastoni could become a superstar.
Aged just 22, he has already been likened to AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini, and is a regular for one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
As quoted by Show Sport, football agent Alessandro Tullio Tinti said: “Bastoni has a great future. I have not seen a single player who at his age would have played at this level. Unless it’s Maldini.”
His impressive rise also saw him land a pay increase – Bastoni now earns £122,000-a-week at the San Siro.
A backline consisting of Bastoni and Romero would be a force, so Spurs should try everything within their power to make it happen.
Keep an eye on this saga – Paratici has already made plenty of signings from Italian football, and Bastoni could be next.
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