Italian journalist Paolo Condo believes that Inter centre-back Alessandro Bastoni is the most talented of the younger generation of Italian defenders but that he still needs to play more and improve his game.

Writing for Rome-based newspaper La Repubblica in today’s print edition, the journalist gave the view that the 22-year-old has shown his qualities for the Italian national side but must learn to do better in certain situations.

Bastoni was trusted by Azzurri coach Roberto Mancini to start both Nations League fixtures, a semi-final against Spain and a third-place playoff against Belgium.

The Nerazzurri man’s performances impressed on the whole, particularly against France, but he was also at fault for the first goal in the loss to Spain, when he failed to cut out a cross from which Spanish striker Ferran Torres found the back of the net.

Condo believes that in spite of occasional errors like this however, he has everything necessary to become a key defender for the Azzurri going forward.

“Bonucci and Chiellini were decisive in winning the European Championship, and the hope is that for at least another year their performance will not drop,” he writes.

“But from here to the World Cup it would be good for Bastoni, the most gifted of the new generation, to always play to accumulate the experience necessary to evaluate situations such as Oyarzabal’s cross for Torres,” he goes on. “The details like this always make the difference.”