There were very few tears shed when Antonio Conte was finally put out of his misery by Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy earlier this week.
But if there is one potential downside to the Italian’s departure, it’s that any lingering hopes the Premier League giants may have harboured of luring Alessandro Bastoni to North London are likely to have followed Conte out the door.
“Is it true that he (Conte) wanted me at Tottenham?” the Inter Milan ace admitted to CalcioMercato back in December. “There was some contact.”
Bastoni was a key cog in Conte’s 2021 Serie A winning machine; establishing himself as one of Europe’s most exciting young centre-halves as part of his manager’s emblematic three-man backline.
Tottenham Hotspur like Inter Milan ace Alessandro Bastoni
Inter Live, a few weeks ago, suggested that Tottenham were ready to renew their interest ahead of the summer window. Inter’s financial issues are well documented.
And the £50 million-rated Bastoni – who would reportedly be offered a £120,000-a-week deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – remains one of the Nerazzuri’s most sellable assets.
A boyhood Inter fan; it would take something special to convince Bastoni to turn his back on the three-time European Champions. If Bastoni rejected Tottenham when Conte – a man he describes as the ‘Messi of coaches’ – was still in situ, then a post-Conte Spurs side would almost certainly be wasting their time trying to twist the Italy international’s arm in the months to come.
Especially with talks over a new deal at the San Siro heading in the right direction at last.
“We’re talking about (a new deal),” Bastoni’s agent, Tullio Tinti, tells Tuttomercatoweb. “There will be room in the next few weeks. He’s always been an Inter fan. Why should the fans worry? You (the media) spread the rumours, not me or Bastoni.
“Absolutely (there is a lot of interest). But he’s an Inter fan, and he wants to stay at Inter.”
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