Alessandro Bastoni ‘reluctant’ to leave Inter Milan as Perisic set for Tottenham medical

Tottenham’s attempts to land Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni have hit something of a roadblock as it has emerged that the Italian defender is ‘reluctant’ to make the switch to north London.

Antonio Conte wants to strengthen his defence this summer as he looks to make his Tottenham side stronger in the wake of Champions League qualification, with the left side of defence a particular concern.

Current option Ben Davies is solid and dependable, but can certainly be upgraded upon. And, having coached Bastoni during Inter Milan’s title win in 2021, the 23 year old defender seemed to be a perfect fit for both the lilywhites and their Italian coach.

However, as per The London Evening Standard, a deal could be tricky, with Bastoni not convinced about a move to join his former boss.

‘While the move is not thought to be dead in the water, Spurs are facing a challenge to convince Bastoni, 23, to join Antonio Conte in London’, the report claims.

#thfc Perisic stayed overnight at Spurs and is expected to complete a medical & sign a two-year deal today. As it stands, Bastoni reluctant to leave Inter. Deal not dead in the water but Spurs will have to convince him. @standardsport

— Dan Kilpatrick (@Dan_KP) May 30, 2022

Perisic deal almost complete

However, in better news for Tottenham, a deal for Ivan Perisic is approaching its final stages, with the 33-year-old set to sign a £180k per week contract in north London to bolster the wing-back berths at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ivan Perisic to sign Tottenham deal worth around £180k per week @mcgrathmike #THFC https://t.co/ondOd40XxY

— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) May 30, 2022

He is set to be joined by Fraser Forster, the former Southampton shot-stopper set to arrive as a backup to Hugo Lloris, with Pierluigi Gollini set to return to Atalanta following an unsuccessful loan spell. It will mark the beginning of what is expected to be a busy summer for Conte and co.