Real Madrid Targets Bastoni as Mourinho Prepares for Preseason
The countdown has started at Valdebebas. One week before preseason begins, Jose Mourinho still does not know exactly which players will walk into his first Real Madrid training session. The exits have begun, the rebuild is underway, but the squad is not yet where the Portuguese coach wants it.
Dani Ceballos, Dani Carvajal and David Alaba have already said their goodbyes, trimming experience and dressing-room weight from the group. Those departures have opened space, but not enough. Madrid are still working on more outgoings while trying to arm Mourinho with the spine he has demanded for the defence and midfield.
Four signings are already through the door, yet the wish list is not complete. Mourinho wants another centre-back. He also wants a midfielder. The board knows it, the market knows it, and the clock is ticking.
Midfield search stalls, defence takes centre stage
In midfield, the plan has hit traffic. Options that once seemed open have closed quickly. The paths to Matues Fernandes and Enzo Fernandez have been shut, forcing Madrid to reassess where they can find the right profile for the middle of the pitch. No clear favourite has emerged there yet.
At the back, the picture is far sharper.
Alessandro Bastoni has moved to the top of the defensive agenda. An Italian international, a left-footed centre-back in his prime, and a profile that fits perfectly with what Madrid lack alongside their current crop of predominantly right-footed central defenders. This is the type of signing that can reshape a back line, not just pad out numbers.
According to reporting from journalist Fabio Gatto, cited by SPORT, Madrid are preparing to move this week. The plan is straightforward: contact Inter Milan, ask directly about their intentions for Bastoni and establish a starting price. No slow dance, no long courtship. They want clarity and they want it quickly.
Player pushing for Madrid move
On the player’s side, the door is wide open.
Bastoni wants a new challenge and has set his sights on the Bernabéu. His stance has been made clear in the most powerful way a modern footballer can send a message: he has rejected a contract renewal from Inter, even though it came with a pay rise. For a key defender at the heart of the Serie A champions’ back line, that is not a casual decision. It is a statement.
Inter, as champions of Italy and a club that has built its recent success on defensive solidity, will not let him go cheaply. Their valuation is expected to sit around €65 million. For Madrid, that is a serious investment, but one that aligns with a long-term piece rather than a short-term patch.
Crowded back line demands exits
There is, however, a simple reality Mourinho and the club cannot ignore: numbers. Madrid already have 11 players for the defensive positions. Adding Bastoni without clearing space would create an unmanageable logjam and an unhappy dressing room.
So the operation is twofold. Bring Bastoni in, but open the door for others to leave. The club is working on the departures of a centre-back and a left-back, with Fran Garcia and Raul Asencio emerging as the main candidates to move on this summer. Only by cutting there can Madrid justify a major outlay and guarantee Bastoni the role he would expect.
The logic is clear. A left-footed centre-back of his calibre would give Mourinho balance, options in build-up, and the possibility to construct a pairing tailored to each opponent. It is the kind of signing that shapes how a coach can press, how high a line he can hold, how brave his team can be without the ball.
Preseason looms, decisions can’t wait
The timing adds pressure. With preseason just a week away, Mourinho will want as much of his core squad in place as possible to install his ideas and intensity from day one. Every day lost in July is felt in March and April.
Madrid know this. Inter know this. Bastoni certainly knows this.
The question now is not whether he fits, but whether the club can move quickly enough — on both the outgoing and incoming fronts — to hand Mourinho the defensive leader he is clearly waiting for.
