{"id":1441696,"date":"2026-04-04T17:10:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T16:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1441696"},"modified":"2026-04-04T16:07:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T15:07:13","slug":"tactical-analysis-alessandro-bastoni-liverpool-barcelona","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-alessandro-bastoni-liverpool-barcelona\/","title":{"rendered":"Alessandro Bastoni analysis: Transfer latest, Liverpool and Barcelona links, and why Inter star could leave this summer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Alessandro Bastoni has endured a tumultuous start to 2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February&#8217;s Derby d\u2019Italia, Bastoni\u2019s simulation resulted in Pierre Kalulu&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>In this article, we&#8217;ll cover:<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-bastoni-urged-to-leave-italy\" data-level=\"3\">Bastoni urged to leave Italy<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-ideal-van-dijk-replacement\" data-level=\"3\">The ideal Van Dijk replacement?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-bastoni-wanted-by-barcelona\" data-level=\"3\">Bastoni wanted by Barcelona<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the icing on the cake came during the international break. Indeed, Bastoni was sent off in the first half of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/post-match-analysis-bosnia-vs-italy-31-03-26\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Italy\u2019s eventual penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/a>. The loss cost the Azzurri a spot at the World Cup. They won\u2019t play football\u2019s showpiece for the third time running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bastoni-urged-to-leave-italy\">Bastoni urged to leave Italy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bastoni has borne the brunt of criticism. Iconic Inter and Italy defender Giuseppe Bergomi has even suggested Bastoni needs to leave the country. \u201cNow this guy, for his own good, will have to leave Italy,\u201d Bergomi said in the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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\u2019s calibre. However, this year feels like the first where an exit may just come to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n<hr \/>\r\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=gb-all-soa-bs4-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sky Bet Offer<\/a>: Get \u00a340 in free bets when you place any bet<\/h2>\r\n<p>Looking for some free bets to boost your betting fund? Sky Bet are offering customers the chance to get \u00a340 in free bets when they sign up and place any qualifying bet.<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1422496\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-1024x290.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"290\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-1024x290.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-300x85.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-768x218.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-1536x435.png 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-400x113.png 400w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-600x170.png 600w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-212x60.png 212w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-150x43.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143-40x11.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2023\/11\/06113653\/image-143.png 2036w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li><a href=\"\/en\/go\/sky-bet?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Sign up at Sky Bet<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0using this link<\/li>\r\n<li>Place a qualifying bet of at least 5p on a single or each way bet at odds of 1\/1 or greater, as your first bet<\/li>\r\n<li>Claim your \u00a340 free bet bonus<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h5 class=\"bookmaker-row exclusive\" style=\"text-align: center;\" data-filter=\"  all-bookmakers free-bets in-play new-bookmaker world-cup-offers\">18+ NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE &amp; E\/W BET ONLY ODDS OF 1\/1 OR GREATER. 4 X \u00a310 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS EXPIRE AFTER 30 DAYS. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&amp;CS APPLY.<\/h5>\r\n<hr \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Should Inter entertain the idea of cashing in on Bastoni, then there wouldn\u2019t be a shortage of suitors. Liverpool have been credited with an interest. They\u2019ll need to replace the experienced Virgil van Dijk before long. At 34 years of age, the Dutchman\u2019s career will be winding down sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-ideal-van-dijk-replacement\">The ideal Van Dijk replacement?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What\u2019s more, Bastoni\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class='vccm vccm-compare'data-compare=\"u8wA4zNAAYwZJI8P20rIr\" data-show-sponsor=\"false\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Off the ball, it\u2019s 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 \u2018defensive\u2019 centre-back, though this is partly due to Liverpool\u2019s system compared the Inter\u2019s, the former using a 4-2-3-1 while the latter favour a 3-5-2 setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This eases Bastoni\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a significant difference in the way Inter and Liverpool and play. Bastoni wouldn\u2019t have the same freedom to get down the left he currently enjoys. Unless, of course, he plays at left-back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bastoni-wanted-by-barcelona\">Bastoni wanted by Barcelona<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Liverpool aren\u2019t 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\u2019s a switch that would suit Bastoni\u2019s style of play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Blaugrana rank second for possession (68.9%) in Europe\u2019s 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\u2019s possession haul.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class='vccm vccm-compare'data-compare=\"V0iV3I7gL7gyMu8MgdvQO\" data-show-sponsor=\"false\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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\u2019t be exposed by a backline that pushes upfield on a whim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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\u2019s Liverpool, or Barcelona, or elsewhere, potential new suitors would be landing one of football\u2019s very best centre-backs.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/\"><strong>Latest football news<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football betting tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best betting sites<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/best-free-bet-offers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best free bet offers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/accumulator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football accumulator tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\n\n\n    <div 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                                                          <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/guilhermemirra\/\" class=\"sq-card__link\">\n                                    Guilherme Mirra                                <\/a>\n                                                        <time class=\"sq-card__label\">4 days ago<\/time>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/article>\n                    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alessandro Bastoni has endured a tumultuous start to 2026. In February&#8217;s Derby d\u2019Italia, Bastoni\u2019s simulation resulted in Pierre Kalulu&#8217;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&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3564,"featured_media":1441697,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Alessandro Bastoni analysis: Inter defender faces mounting pressure after a difficult 2026, with Liverpool and Barcelona circling.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1441696","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Alessandro Bastoni analysis: Transfer latest, Liverpool and Barcelona links, and why Inter star could leave this summer | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta 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