Chelsea identify next transfer after Gary Neville warning - but Man City may hijack deal
Chelsea and Manchester City are both monitoring a move for Inter defender and Italy international Alessandro Bastoni.
Having originally started his career at full-back, Bastoni has evolved into a central defender who has been key for club and country. The Italian starred as Inter reached last season’s Champions League final and is widely regarded as one of Europe’s finest central defenders.
Chelsea let a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 against Arsenal on Saturday and while the Blues have undergone a notable squad transformation in the past year – with a virtually entirely unrecognisable squad from 15 months ago – the veteran defender Thiago Silva has been one of the few constants.
The oldest player in a youthful squad, Gary Neville highlighted the importance of Silva after Saturday’s clash but insisted that his age was problematic, with the Blues needing to find a long-term replacement: “I still think they've got a problem with Thiago Silva’s age. He's so important for them, but he is 39.”
Mauricio Pochettino has a range of central defenders at his disposal including relatively new arrivals Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana, while Levi Colwill is another option in the position. However, Silva remains the defensive lynchpin and his ultimate departure will require a replacement to be sought.
A report from Calciomercato outlines how not only is Bastoni high on the radar of both Chelsea and Premier League rivals City, but Inter will be open to a deal in excess of £60million. The Nerazzurri still must sell players before they can buy and believe they can cash-in on the Italian.
As is sometimes the case with Chelsea, Inter deploy a three-man defence with Bastoni capable of occupying either the central role or the
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