Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly preparing to make an opening offer for Inter Milan central defender Alessandro Bastoni.
The 23-year-old was again an important player for his Italian side during the 2021-22 campaign, making 44 appearances in all competitions, contributing one goal and three assists in the process.
Bastoni only has little over two years left to run on his current agreement at San Siro, though, and there has been a host of speculation surrounding his future over the last few weeks.
A recent report claimed that Tottenham boss Antonio Conte was determined to bring the Italy international to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.
Meanwhile, Man United are also believed to be showing an interest in Bastoni, as new head coach Erik ten Hag prepares to boost his defensive options.
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According to Football Insider, Spurs are determined to win the race for the Italian and will submit an opening bid to Inter over the weekend.
The report claims that the North London club, who will be in the Champions League next season after finishing fourth in the 2021-22 Premier League, will make a 'big-money first offer'.
Spurs allegedly believe that Inter will be forced to sell the defender this summer due to their financial problems, and the London club are determined to make the most of the opportunity.
Inter would reportedly rather sell Bastoni early in the transfer window in order to give themselves time to secure a replacement ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
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Bastoni came through the youth system at Atalanta BC before joining Inter in 2018, and he has turned out for the San Siro giants on 117 occasions in all competitions, contributing three goals and eight assists.
During the 2021-22 campaign, the Italian scored once and provided three assists in 31 Serie A outings, while he also played eight times in the Champions League.
Tottenham are again expected to operate in a back three under Conte next season, and Bastoni could play alongside Eric Dier and Cristian Romero if he were to make the move to North London.
Spurs were outsiders to finish fourth in the Premier League heading into their clash with Arsenal on May 12, but they beat the Gunners 3-0 before ending their campaign with back-to-back successes over Burnley and Norwich City, which saw them finish two points clear of their North London rivals.
Tottenham are also reportedly keen to bring Everton forward Richarlison to the club this summer, with Conte expected to be given a healthy budget to improve the squad.
Matt Law
