Inter’s Coppa Italia match at Juventus tonight will pit two of Europe’s greatest young defenders against each other in Alessandro Bastoni and Matthijs de Ligt, according to an Italian media report.
Corriere dello Sport’s print edition said the talented duo were both key figures for their respective clubs, despite their young age, and argued they would be perfect to play alongside one another.
Inter snapped Bastoni up for €31.1 million from Atalanta back in 2017, with academy players Fabio Eguelfi and Marco Carraro heading to Bergamo as part of the deal.
The Turin-based publication assured that while it was seen at the time as a lot of money to shell out on an inexperienced player, the investment for Bastoni has definitely paid off.
The Nerazzurri can now count on a top-quality left-footed centre-back, a rarity in Europe, and will shortly reward Bastoni with a new contract.
Bastoni, whose current deal with Inter runs through to the end of the 2022-23 season, has made 25 appearances across all competitions under Antonio Conte this season, in which he has provided three assists.