Nathan Ake has an uncertain future at Manchester City after being short of playing time this season and being granted a departure by Pep Guardiola, but it’s hard to see the Premier League champions replacing him with Alessandro Bastoni despite FC Inter News’ report.
The 23-year-old is believed to be on City’s radar, though Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested. Bastoni joined Inter Milan from Atalanta in 2017 and has gone on to make 118 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals with eight assists.
Inter want to keep Bastoni, but they will accept €70m (£59.7m) from a suitor. City have John Stones, Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte fighting over two spots in the side while Ake provides cover. It wouldn’t be good business to spend so much on a centre-back while Guardiola still has four options on the books.
He would have to sell Ake before bringing another player in, and there may not be many suitors will to pay £40m for an out-of-favour defender with injury problems, so this story isn’t coming true. Guardiola may like the idea of signing Bastoni, but City need a central midfielder and left-back more than they do a central defender.