Beppe Marotta has rubbished the notion that Alessandro Bastoni could leave Inter Milan on a free transfer.

Speaking to Milan-based news outlet Gazzetta.it, the Nerazzurri CEO made clear that he doesn’t expect the 23-year-old to follow Milan Skriniar out the door, noting that he is “almost certain” the player will instead extend his contract.

Bastoni’s contract runs out at the end of next June. However, extending the key defender’s deal is already a priority for the Nerazzurri.

This is because the club are well aware of what can happen when a player enters the final year of their contract.

The situation with Skriniar has certainly served as a lesson in this respect. Inter offered Skriniar a new contract, but he rejected it. Now, Milan Skriniar will join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.

It has been reported that a new contract for Bastoni is on the way.

However, should the talks unexpectedly break down, the Nerazzurri could sell the 23-year-old rather than risk losing him on a free transfer next summer. Manchester City, PSG, and Juventus all consider the Inter defender a target.

Marotta Optimistic – Alessandro Bastoni Will Extend Inter Contract

For his part, however, CEO Marotta is quite optimistic that things will not get that far.

The Inter director then replied to a direct question on whether Bastoni’s situation could unfold similarly to Skriniar’s. He replied that “I don’t want to compare them.”

“I’ll only say that Bastoni is a very serious person, and a smart guy,” he continued. “He’s well-represented by an excellent agent.”

“I’m not just confident but almost certain – and I use ‘almost’ just because I’m not 100% sure – that we can reach a positive conclusion.”

“And we’ll find a solution together with Dzeko as well,” Marotta added.

Inter Milan CEO Opens Up About Champions League Dreams

Marotta also spoke about what the possibility of winning the Champions League represents.

“Winning the Champions League is still utopian today,” he said. “We classify it as a dream, but you have to believe in dreams.”

“And if it vanishes, it just means we have to create a new one.”

Asked if he has any special plans if Inter win the Serie A title, Marotta said “I have something in mind.”

“Since it’s a dream and it’s still distant, I prefer to keep it to myself.”

“It would be something very satisfying, but in the meantime let’s not get wrapped up in dreams,” the Inter CEO said.

“Let’s go headlong into reality, where we still don’t know that we’ve reached the final. We have to stay humble and focused.”

Marotta: Winning Serie A Title Inter Milan’s Goal Next Season

The Inter CEO also gave his thoughts on next season’s Serie A title race.

Asked if winning the Scudetto is Inter’s goal, Marotta replied “It always is, the Scudetto represents the most important title in Italy, the one dearest to everyone.”

“It’s to be expected that we want to add to our trophy cabinet,” he said.

“But then we have to deal with some top-class rivals.”

“This season we also witnessed an extraordinary run from Napoli,” Marotta noted. “But I consider it to the credit of Napoli, rather than holding it against the other teams.”

“The hope is that next season we can be more competitive.”