Liverpool get green light for £60m centre-back deal

Liverpool will soon be looking for a long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk.

The Reds’ captain is 34 now and is contracted until the end of the 2026/27 season.

Earning a reported £400k per week it would be a surprise if a renewal was on the table for the Dutchman - who has won all there is to win in the club game throughout his near-decade at Anfield.

Signing a left-sided defender - who can match Van Dijk’s level - will be of utmost importance to Richard Hughes over the coming year.

Despite the signings of Mor Talla Ndiaye, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and especially Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni it is pivotal for the Premier League champions to add experience.

Inter Milan willing to sell Bastoni

And it looks like Alessandro Bastoni fits the bill - with Sport in Spain now reporting that Inter Milan are willing to sell their star centre-back. If a bid worth £60m comes in for the Italian international then he could be sent packing.

“Inter are open to selling him and have already put a asking price on the table,” the report reads.

“The Italian club is willing to negotiate offers starting at €70 million (£60m) for Bastoni, a very high figure that could scare off interested clubs.”

The report mentions Barcelona in this context - with the Catalans requiring careful financial planning to get this deal done.

Liverpool are willing and able to match the Spanish side’s interest - although the player right now would appear to prefer Camp Nou to Anfield.

£60m Bastoni deal too expensive for Barca

“Bastoni is also attracting interest from Liverpool, who have much greater financial resources, but he would prioritize a move to Barça,” the report states.

But the deal could well be taken out of Barca’s hands - owing to their precarious financial situation. Liverpool - unlike Barcelona - would not require player exchanges to get a deal over the line.

That could in turn encourage Inter to do business with the Merseysiders.

Alessandro Bastoni: Situation summary

Alessandro Bastoni is a cornerstone for Inter, an elite left‑sided centre‑back whose future is watched closely but who remains tied strongly to the club.

Role and form

Bastoni operates on the left of Inter’s back three, effectively acting as a playmaking defender who steps into midfield, breaks lines with his passing and links superbly with the wing‑back. He combines anticipation and aerial presence with a cultured left foot, making him one of Europe’s standout progressive centre‑backs and a key figure for both Inter and Italy. ​

Contract and recent context

He signed an extension in 2023 that runs until June 2028, and Inter are now pushing to extend that again towards 2030, with the player consistently signalling happiness in Milan. Inter’s hierarchy view him as fundamental, so any sale would be driven more by financial strategy than sporting doubts, despite occasional noise around his reception in rival stadiums.

Transfer and future

Barcelona, Liverpool, Premier League clubs and others have monitored him, but Inter’s stance is that he is not on the market below a premium fee, often quoted around or above €70–80m. For now the expectation is that Bastoni stays as a pillar of Inter’s project, with 2026‑onward seen as the earliest realistic window for any serious move.

🔴 Shop the LFC 2025/26 adidas home range

👉🏻 Liverpool get GREEN light to sign Nico Schlotterbeck

👉🏻 Centre-back confirms he's ready to join Liverpool

👉🏻 Fabrizio Romano CONFIRMS belief £52m Liverpool target will agree move