Alessandro Bastoni has endured a tumultuous start to 2026.
In February’s Derby d’Italia, Bastoni’s simulation resulted in Pierre Kalulu’s dismissal. The 26-year-old could be seen brazenly celebrating the red card. The defender was widely criticised in the aftermath of the 3-2 win.
Bastoni was resoundingly booed during the 2-0 victory over Lecce later that month. His family even received death threats. Inter then lost their Champions League playoff with Bodo/Glimt. They lost the Milan Derby. Their seemingly unassailable lead at the top of Serie A has been cut to six points.
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And the icing on the cake came during the international break. Indeed, Bastoni was sent off in the first half of Italy’s eventual penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The loss cost the Azzurri a spot at the World Cup. They won’t play football’s showpiece for the third time running.
Bastoni urged to leave Italy
Bastoni has borne the brunt of criticism. Iconic Inter and Italy defender Giuseppe Bergomi has even suggested Bastoni needs to leave the country. “Now this guy, for his own good, will have to leave Italy,” Bergomi said in the week.
Inter would be reluctant to lose one of their prized defenders. Fact is they can command a huge fee for a player who may benefit from a change of scenery. Not for the first time, Bastoni has been linked with a summer exit. Demand is always high in a player of the centre-back’s calibre. However, this year feels like the first where an exit may just come to fruition.
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Should Inter entertain the idea of cashing in on Bastoni, then there wouldn’t be a shortage of suitors. Liverpool have been credited with an interest. They’ll need to replace the experienced Virgil van Dijk before long. At 34 years of age, the Dutchman’s career will be winding down sooner rather than later.
The ideal Van Dijk replacement?
And the Reds will demand an elite-level replacement for the Netherlands international. Bastoni, then, very much fits the bill. While Van Dijk boast a better pass accuracy (89.21% to 87.11%) from more passes per 90 (75.4 to 73.5), in truth the difference between the pair is marginal.
What’s more, Bastoni’s range of passing would be a huge benefit for the Reds. The Inter man is not only attempting more long passes per 90 (9.1 to 8.2) he also boasts a better long pass accuracy (52.97% to 50.39%). This ability to pick out a teammate from range would suit a Liverpool side that has attempted the second most shots following a counter attack (44) in the 2025-26 Premier League season.
Off the ball, it’s Van Dijk that trumps Bastoni, though this could be because Liverpool are facing more shots per 90 (11.1) than Inter (8.4). The Dutchman is a more active ‘defensive’ centre-back, though this is partly due to Liverpool’s system compared the Inter’s, the former using a 4-2-3-1 while the latter favour a 3-5-2 setup.
This eases Bastoni’s defensive duties as he has cover from both a wing-back and the central centre-back. In turn, Bastoni is free to push forward more freely in this current Inter side than he would do for Liverpool. This is evident in that the Inter man has created seven clear-cut chances and boasts a cross accuracy of 26.32% from 3.4 attempted crosses per 90. By comparison, Van Dijk is averaging 0.1 attempted crosses per 90.
There is a significant difference in the way Inter and Liverpool and play. Bastoni wouldn’t have the same freedom to get down the left he currently enjoys. Unless, of course, he plays at left-back.
Bastoni wanted by Barcelona
Liverpool aren’t the only European powerhouse interested in Bastoni. La Liga giants Barcelona have also been credited with an interest in the Inter man, and, in all honesty, it’s a switch that would suit Bastoni’s style of play.
The Blaugrana rank second for possession (68.9%) in Europe’s top five leagues this season. 650.3 passes per 90 is third. Centre-backs Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia are vital to their domestic dominance. The former ranks top for passes per 90 (90.6) for Barcelona in La Liga this season. The latter places third (76.8). Both are higher than Bastoni, though that is to be expected given Barcelona’s possession haul.
Even so, with the willingness to deploy a high defensive line, Bastoni would have the license to get forward. And with impressive recovery speed, the Italian wouldn’t be exposed by a backline that pushes upfield on a whim.
Either way, Bastoni is expected to feature high on wishlists this summer. The start to the year has been far from ideal for the world class defender. However, a fresh start may well benefit Bastoni. Whether it’s Liverpool, or Barcelona, or elsewhere, potential new suitors would be landing one of football’s very best centre-backs.
