Summer transfers are always entertaining, but never was there a chance that an internal disagreement would be the one to scupper Barcelona's plans for the centre of defence.
According to Matteo Moretto, Barcelona are withdrawing from negotiations for Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni.
The surprise?
The Italian international had agreed a complete deal to come to the Spotify Camp Nou several weeks ago. The club's sporting director Deco had spent months laying the groundwork for this signing. Complex financial structures were explored to make Inter's 70m valuation work, including player plus cash arrangements.
The player was eager to move, all the details were arranged, and the board was ready to green light it. However, Hansi Flick put a stop to everything.
The high-line problem
During the meetings between Deco and Flick, the German manager completely blocked the signing. Flick isn't questioning Bastoni's quality (world-class player, excellent in possession), it is the tactical fit he objects to.
Flick's system relies on a very aggressive, high defensive line, leaving a huge space behind the back four that the centre-backs must recover space. Flick has doubts about Bastoni's ability to track back on the transition.
Pairing Bastoni and Pau Cubars would have formed a partnership of two elite technical ball-playing passer-masters, and that would have left their backline extremely vulnerable to counter-attacks given the lack of an elite recovery pace.
Flick wants a left centre-back profile with a very different physical makeup: pure speed, physicality and a high rate of duels in wide areas.
The rise of internal solutions
Additionally, Flick's decision not to spend 70m relies on what is already in the squad. The rapid rise of Gerard Martin to become a completely reliable presence at left-sided centre-back has certainly changed the situation internally.
In addition, a fantastic 90 minutes from La Masia graduate Alvaro Cortes against Alaves has given the coaching staff confidence that the massive expenditure on a certain profile can be avoided.
Deco now has to pivot, and the scouting team is working to identify different types of players that fit Flick's physical requirements.
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