Real Madrid chose not to sign Alessandro Bastoni from Inter Milan

Real Madrid management declined to pursue a transfer for Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni this summer despite requests from manager Jose Mourinho. Inter Milan maintained a €70 million valuation for the defender, while the player expressed no desire to leave the club. Real Madrid required a departure from its current defensive roster before adding new personnel, but Raul Asencio refused to leave the team. Consequently, the club deemed the move unnecessary despite concerns over the fitness of Eder Militao and the age of Antonio Rudiger. The two clubs meet at the Santiago Bernabeu today for their first match of the UEFA Champions League. Bastoni remains with the Inter Milan squad for the fixture.

• 6:00 AMYahoo Sports — Key Reason why Real Madrid did not press to sign Inter Milan defender this summer