Alessandro Bastoni grew up in Casalmaggiore in Lombardy and came through Atalanta’s academy. Inter signed him in 2017 while he was still a teenager, loaning him back to Atalanta and then to Parma before he joined the squad in 2019.
Under Antonio Conte and then Simone Inzaghi, he became one of the best left-sided centre-backs in Europe. He is comfortable stepping into midfield with the ball, overlapping down the flank and delivering crosses, an unusual skill set for a defender. He won Serie A with Inter in 2020/21 and 2023/24 and played in two Champions League finals.
Bastoni won Euro 2020 with Italy and has been a regular for the national team since.
Playing style
Bastoni is one of the most distinctive defenders in Europe. As the left-sided centre-back in Inter’s back three, he regularly steps into midfield with the ball, overlaps the wing-back and delivers crosses into the box, producing assists that few defenders can match. His left foot is precise over short and long distances. Defensively he is tall, reads the game well and is calm under pressure, rarely needing to make desperate challenges. The combination of defensive reliability and attacking creativity made him central to Inter’s success under Simone Inzaghi and one of the most sought-after defenders in world football.
International career
Bastoni made his Italy debut in 2020 and was part of the squad that won Euro 2020, playing in the group stage. He has since become a regular starter for Italy, playing at Euro 2024, and is one of the leaders of the national team’s defence.
Career in numbers
Since his first senior season in 2016/17, Bastoni has made 337 club appearances and scored 9 goals in all competitions for 3 clubs. So far in 2026/27 he has made 6 appearances for Inter Milan. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.