Manchester United are reportedly set to compete with Manchester City for a transformative central defensive signing.
The Manchester clubs are no strangers to competing over the same players, locking horns in the transfer market frequently. In the past, Manchester United have managed to gazump Manchester City for Cristiano Ronaldo, Fred and Alexis Sanchez.
And if the rumour mill is correct, they may well do so again this summer, with another defender choosing between the red and blue sides of Manchester.
According to Fichajes, United are keen on Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan in a bid to strengthen their defence.
The Italian has a release clause of £40 million and just a year left on his contract this summer. Reports have suggested he has little intention of extending and with both Manchester sides interested, United look well poised to beat City to another deal.
Tottenham Hotspur have also held an interest in the centre-back – most notably when his former manager Antonio Conte was at the Lilywhites – with former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson describing Bastoni as the kind of game-changing signing that could see a side's defence raised to an elite level.
"Bastoni would be a statement signing," Robinson told Football Insider back in November. "That is the type of signing Spurs need to make if they want to go onto the next level. They need to get that level of player now."
Despite the interest in Bastoni, however, United will perhaps struggle to offer him first-team football every week. Lisandro Martinez is the club's outstanding centre-back and plays on the left of the two – the same place that left-footed Bastoni would want to. City, alternately, may let Aymeric Laporte leave and use the Italian as a rotational option.
Bastoni is valued at €55 million by Transfermarkt.
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The rumour mill is ticking over when it comes to new faces at Old Trafford. Two Brighton stars have been linked, with another two Bundesliga players rumoured.
Three big names have been linked with exits, however, while James Ward-Prowse is reportedly on the midfield shortlist. Goncalo Ramos is a target and Bruno Fernandes might yet leave.
