Real Madrid's Pursuit of Bastoni as Mourinho Seeks Final Pieces
With preseason a week away and Jose Mourinho about to take charge of his first sessions at Valdebebas, Real Madrid still look unfinished. The departures have started, the arrivals have begun, but the squad he will actually coach remains in flux.
Dani Ceballos, Dani Carvajal and David Alaba have already been shown the door, the first wave of a dressing-room reshuffle that is far from over. Four signings are through the door, yet Mourinho has made it clear: he wants more. Specifically, a centre-back and a midfielder before the window really bites.
The midfield hunt has become complicated. Paths to Matues Fernandes and Enzo Fernandez have been shut, closing off two of the more obvious options for the engine room. That leaves Madrid still searching for the right profile in the middle of the pitch, a task that now lags behind their defensive priority.
Because at the back, the target is anything but vague.
Bastoni at the top of the list
Alessandro Bastoni has emerged as the clear defensive obsession. A left-footed centre-back with Champions League pedigree, he fits the gap in a backline dominated by right-footers and gives Mourinho the kind of balance he has always craved in his central defence.
According to SPORT, via journalist Fabio Gatto, Madrid intend to move this week. The plan is straightforward: contact Inter Milan, ask for their stance, and discover the starting price. No long courtship, no slow dance. They want clarity and they want it quickly.
Inter, fresh from another Serie A title, are expected to value Bastoni at around €65 million. That figure sets the scale of the operation and underlines how serious a decision this will be for both clubs.
On the player’s side, the signals are even clearer. Bastoni wants a change of scenery and has set his sights on the Bernabéu. His recent rejection of a renewal proposal from Inter, one that included a salary increase, spoke louder than any public statement. It was a calculated step: turn down comfort in Milan to push for a move to Madrid.
A crowded backline that still needs space
For Real Madrid, desire alone is not enough. The numbers in defence are swollen. Eleven players are currently competing for spots across the backline, an unsustainable figure if Bastoni is to walk in as a major investment and an immediate reference point.
That is why, behind the scenes, Madrid are already working on exits. The club are preparing to move on at least one centre-back and a left-back to open space in the squad and on the wage bill. Fran Garcia and Raul Asencio have emerged as the leading candidates to leave this summer, collateral in a defensive rebuild aimed at giving Mourinho the structure he wants.
The logic is ruthless but familiar at this level: if Bastoni comes, someone important goes.
Mourinho waits for his defence
The clock is ticking. Preseason starts in days, not weeks, and Mourinho would prefer to shape his defensive line with Bastoni present from the outset rather than dropped in midway through the summer.
Madrid know exactly what they want: a left-footed pillar to anchor the new era, a midfielder to complete the core, and a leaner, sharper squad around them. The question now is whether they can prise Bastoni out of Milan quickly enough to hand their new coach the defensive leader he has already imagined in white.
