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Manchester City keen on signing Inter Milan starlet this summer

By Rohan Sengupta

Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the English FA Cup semi-final football match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in north west London on April 17, 2021. - - NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by Ian Walton / POOL / AFP) / NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by IAN WALTON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the English FA Cup semi-final football match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in north west London on April 17, 2021. - - NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by Ian Walton / POOL / AFP) / NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by IAN WALTON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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According to a report from Sport Witness, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will be interested in signing Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni should Nathan Ake leave this summer.

Nathan Ake, 26, joined Manchester City in a £40m deal after Bournemouth were relegated from the Premier League last summer. However, long-term injury problems and stiff competition within Pep Guardiola’s squad limited him to just 10 Premier League appearances during the entire 2020/21 campaign.

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As per Sport Witness, Ake could leave the Sky Blues after just one season, with new AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho interested in signing him on loan.

Whether Manchester City sanctions the Netherlands international’s sale or allow him to depart on loan remains to be seen, but if Ake decides to move on, Pep Guardiola would like to sign a central defender.

And Guardiola has been impressed with Alessandro Bastoni’s performances for Inter Milan over the last couple of seasons, with the Spanish tactician a fan of the Italian centre-back, Sport Witness claim.

Alessandro Bastoni, 22, one of Europe’s exciting prospects, enjoyed a superb season under Antonio Conte, playing a vital role behind Inter Milan’s Serie A title triumph. He made 41 appearances across all competitions, registering four assists in the process.

In the past two years at Inter, Bastoni has established himself as a regular starter at the San Siro Stadium and has racked up 74 appearances. He emerged as one of the Nerazzurri’s top performers in what was a successful 2020/21 Serie A campaign. And the young Italian defender’s solid displays has landed him on Guardiola’s potential transfer list ahead of the summer transfer window.

Nonetheless, it may not be good news for Guardiola as Inter are planning to renew Bastoni’s contract after a really good season. But as Inter are facing financial difficulties and need to offload some top players to balance their books, they have temporarily put aside Bastoni’s new contract terms, the report adds.

With Bastoni’s agent, Tullio Tinti, aware of City’s interest in his agent, Inter will need to act quickly otherwise they’ll risk losing one of Italy’s brightest talents to the English champions.

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Eric Garcia’s mooted transfer to Barcelona and Nathan Ake’s potential departure from the Etihad Stadium this summer should leave the room for Manchester City to secure the signing of a top centre-back to bolster their backline ahead of next season.

Guardiola remains an admirer of Bastoni due to the youngster’s excellent ability to play out from the back. Not only he is good with the ball at his feet, but also the four-cap Italian international excels in reading the game well and wining back possession for his team. However, it remains to be seen if City can lure the 22-year-old away from San Siro to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

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