Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has questioned whether Inter Milan’s stance on rumoured Tottenham target Alessandro Bastoni is a smokescreen designed to get as high a price as possible for the centre-back.
Bastoni’s agent Tullio Tinti said following a meeting with the Inter hierarchy earlier this month that his client would be staying put at the San Siro (Football Italia).
However, according to The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke, Tinti’s statement may not mean Spurs’ pursuit of the 23-year-old is over, with the journalist suggesting that Inter could possibly change their stance later in the transfer window.
Football.London’s Alasdair Gold has also said Tottenham have not yet admitted defeat when it comes to Bastoni but added that it would take ‘a drastic change in circumstances’ for a move to go through this summer.
Sheth has now claimed that Antonio Conte’s men are ‘still pushing’ to land the Italy international and questioned whether Inter might simply be looking to maximise the centre-back’s value by publicly maintaining he is not for sale.
The journalist told GiveMeSport: “The Bastoni one is a very interesting one because Tottenham are still pushing to sign Bastoni from Inter Milan.
“It should be said, Inter Milan do not want to lose him, and the agent has come out and said he’s happy at Inter Milan, he’s not going anywhere, but is that a screen where Inter Milan protect their investments so if they do sell, they get the maximum amount of money?”
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It has been well publicised that a left centre-back is Conte’s number one priority this window. However, the fact that Spurs have not pushed ahead with a move for any alternatives to Bastoni suggests that the North London club believe a deal is still very much doable.
I do wonder if Tinti’s statement was designed to get the Inter fans off their owners’ back. Perhaps, they feel that the news of Bastoni’s sale would be received better by the fan base if they announce it after bringing a few signings through the door first.
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