"I'm very calm" - 23-year-old breaks silence on future amid interest from Manchester United and Tottenham
Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni has spoken out over his future, amid rumors that Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing him.
The 23-year-old has become one of the most reliable central defenders in European football since his move to the San Siro from Atalanta in 2017.
Bastoni made 44 appearances for the Nerazzuri across the most recent campaign. He was also part of the Milan side that won their first Scudetto in a decade in 2021 under Antonio Conte.
Recent reports have linked Bastoni with a big-money move to the Premier League. However, while on international duty with Italy, the defender told reporters he was relaxed about his future.
Speaking after he played in his side's 2-1 Nations League victory over Hungary, Bastoni claimed (as per The Manchester Evening News):
"I have a two-year contract with Inter, so I'm very calm. The club hasn't communicated anything to me, so I'm very calm. I think about Italy then I go on vacation and then I resume at the Appiano [Inter's training ground]."
Earlier in the week, 90min reported that Bastoni had informed Inter Milan that he wanted to join Tottenham to reunite with Conte. This would see him compete for a spot in the defence with Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Ben Davies.
Agent of Tottenham and Manchester United target Alessandro Bastoni speaks out
The Italian international will no doubt be a sensational signing for either of the Premier League giants if it goes through.
However, it seems that both Manchester United and Tottenham will have to look elsewhere to fix their defensive issues.
Per Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Bastoni's agent Tinti has told the midfielder that the highly-rated defender will be staying at the San Siro for next season.
Tinti claimed:
“Bastoni will stay at Inter for sure. He has a contract and he’s happy with Inter - there’s no problem”
Romano also claimed that Inter will now meet with Paulo Dybala's agent Jorge Antun. The Argentine superstar was released by Juventus after failing to agree to terms on a contract extension.
The 28-year-old playmaker has scored 115 goals in 293 appearances across seven seasons at the Old Lady. His salary demands will no doubt be extremely high this summer.