For long, Alessandro Bastoni has been seen as Barcelona’s priority centre-back signing and has been said to be the perfect fit for the system.
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Given the void that Inigo Martinez’s departure from the club last summer left, Barcelona struggled all season to fill it in. While Gerard Martin eventually did well, that did not stop the club from seeing an urgent need for a new signing.
Bastoni, in that sense, stood out for his playing characteristics, age, and transfer situation, and the club were willing to even reasonably splash the cash on him.
An unexpected hurdle
As reported by Matteo Moretto in a recent update, the main ‘obstacle’ in Barcelona’s signing of Bastoni is Hansi Flick’s stance.
Hansi Flick is not convinced by Bastoni. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
The manager has expressed growing concerns about the top target, including his technical characteristics and how they may not complement the team’s current and future playing style.
All the progress Deco has made for months, thus, may be undone by Flick’s resistance although it is only right that the manager has the say on whether or not he sees a player fit for his project.
What is clear, however, is that Bastoni falling down the wish-list is not an economic consideration but a purely sporting one.
A change in priorities
While Bastoni’s profile may not appeal to Flick, that does not mean that the manager does not see the central defence to be in need of a new signing. In fact, he has already asked the sporting director to keep exploring new avenues.
Lewandowski’s departure may have changed Deco’s priorities. (Photo by Friedemann Vogel/Getty Images)
Concurrently, however, there is also a line of thought that Barcelona pressing the pause button on Bastoni could be to prioritise the signing of a striker which has become a non-negotiable after Robert Lewandowski’s departure.
What Deco and Co. must be wary of, however, is losing out on targets by incessant delays, for they may be left without a quality defender or striker if they do not close down deals soon.