Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni feels fully committed to the club and hopes that he can remain for many seasons to come.

Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, the 23-year-old explained that he’s never considered leaving despite transfer interest in him, and also expressed the hope that fellow defender Milan Skriniar also remains at the club this summer.

Inter’s big names have been the subject of no shortage of transfer interest during the summer transfer window, and Bastoni had at one point come under the spotlight of the transfer market.

Former Nerazzurri coach Antonio Conte made no secret of the fact that he was keen on bringing Bastoni to Tottenham Hotspur, whilst other big clubs in the Premier League have also shown interest.

However, despite the rumours of a possible sale, the defender made his stance clear at the time that he has no interest in leaving, and he has once again reiterated this.

“I’ve never had the slightest doubt or considered leaving Inter,” he said, “I have everything I need to be happy here and play at my best, I get along great with my teammates, with the club, I love Milan, why would I leave?”

“I still see myself wearing this shirt for many years and, in the meantime, I hope to win a lot more,” he continued.

“Keeping the spine of the team is decisive, in general, and I’m not just referring to Italians like me or Nicolo,” Bastoni went on.

“There are guys like Handanovic and Skriniar who may not be Italians by nationality, but embody the Inter spirit,” he noted, “it’s also decisive for the group that we keep them as well.”

He explained of Skriniar that “Milan has integrated here perfectly over the years and we’ve integrated with him in the defense we’ve built together.”

“Plus, he’s my best friend within the group,” he said of the Slovakian. “It would be a real shame if he left us right now, I hope he stays. I think we’ll continue to do great things together.”

Regarding the return of Romelu Lukaku, Bastoni stated that the Belgian is “The exact same wonderful person and great striker that he was before.”

“I wasn’t surprised by his decision,” the defender continued, “when you’re comfortable somewhere, you want to find a way to return.”

“It’s only natural to feel that way,” he said. “There are not regrets or remorse, it’s enough that he wants to help us win again like two years ago.”

Of competition at the top of Serie A, Bastoni noted that “Juve have strengthened a lot, I see them as our most dangerous rival. They’ve signed many top players like Di Maria, Pogba, Bremer, they’ll be a juggernaut.”

Regarding comments by Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci that the Bianconeri are back, Bastoni responded that “It’s true, but it’s also true that Inter have never left.”

“We know our qualities and our strength,” he continued, “we won the Scudetto two years ago and we have everything we need to do it again.”

Asked if he thinks the Nerazzurri are stronger now than they were last season, the defender considered that “We’ve been playing together for several years: the understanding we have, the mechanisms of play, the strength of the group have all improved.”

“For this reason, yes, in my opinion our team is stronger than last season and we can aim high in every competition,” he added.

“In a season like this, so dense and compact, managing our energy and the physical side of things will be crucial,” Bastoni predicted.

“It will be important for us to feel at our best for as long as possible and to have many substitutes available as necessary with a lot of matches close together,” he added. “And then there’s the hole in the middle of the season for the World Cup which is an unpredictable variable.”