Real Madrid Targets Bastoni as Mourinho Seeks Defensive Reinforcements

One week from the start of preseason and Real Madrid still look unfinished. Jose Mourinho will walk into Valdebebas knowing key pieces are missing, both in midfield and at the heart of his defence.

The club has already started to clear the decks. Dani Ceballos, Dani Carvajal and David Alaba have all said their goodbyes, significant departures in a dressing room that has been rebuilt at speed this summer. Four new signings are already through the door, yet inside the club nobody pretends the job is done. Mourinho wants more: a centre-back and a midfielder, minimum.

The midfield search has hit a wall. Options such as Matues Fernandes and Enzo Fernandez have slipped away, closing off two of the more obvious routes to reinforcing the engine room. That leaves the identity of the preferred midfield target very much open, and time is not on Madrid’s side.

The picture is far clearer in defence.

Bastoni at the top of the list

For the centre-back role, Real Madrid have locked onto one name: Alessandro Bastoni. An Italian international, a left-footed defender in his prime, and a player whose profile neatly balances a backline currently dominated by right-footers.

According to SPORT, via journalist Fabio Gatto, Madrid plan to move this week. The intention is straightforward: contact Inter Milan, ask for their position on Bastoni, and find out the starting price. The message from the Spanish side is equally clear — they want this operation wrapped up quickly.

The timing suits the player. Bastoni is ready for a change of scenery and has set his sights on the Bernabéu. His stance has been made plain by his recent refusal to sign a renewal at Inter, even with a pay rise on the table from the Serie A champions. Inter are expected to value him at around €65 million, a figure that reflects both his status and the leverage of a club that does not need to sell on the cheap.

For Madrid, he is more than just another defender. He is the specific profile they have been missing: a left-footed centre-back who can balance the structure, help in the build-up and offer Mourinho tactical flexibility across a long season.

Space needed at the back

There is a catch. Madrid’s defensive unit is crowded. Eleven players are currently listed across the backline, an unsustainable number if Bastoni is to arrive and play a central role.

The club is already working on exits. One centre-back and one left-back are expected to make way, with Fran Garcia and Raul Asencio emerging as the leading candidates to leave this summer. Only by freeing up space and wages can Madrid realistically move for Bastoni at the level Inter will demand.

So the race is on. A week until preseason, a coach who wants clarity, a player pushing for the move, and a selling club that knows exactly what it holds.

If Real Madrid get Bastoni through the door in time for Mourinho’s first full sessions, the shape of this new-era backline could change in an instant.