Man United face competition from Man City as they target potential Maguire replacement set to join club in January

According to the latest Gazzetta Dello Sport report, one of the clubs standing in their way is Premier League champions Manchester City.

The 23-year-old center-back has spent the last four seasons at Inter Milan, appearing in 126 games across all competitions.

With the club, Bastoni has already won three trophies, including the Serie A title in 2020/21.

The Italy international was also a member of the side that won the European Championship at Wembley in 2021.

The center-back only appeared once during the tournament, but he has since played a larger role in Roberto Mancini’s side.

Bastoni’s steady performances for club and country have piqued the interest of Premier League heavyweights such as the Red Devils.

Erik ten Hag already bolstered his center-back position this summer by signing Lisandro Martinez.

However, with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof struggling at Old Trafford, another addition is not out of the question.

Maguire, for example, has yet to taste victory this season when starting for Ten Hag or Gareth Southgate.

The Manchester United captain started at center-back against Brighton and Brentford at the start of the season. United’s form improved when the 29-year-old was dropped, and they went on to win four straight games.

Maguire returned to the starting lineup against Real Sociedad in the Europa League. However, he was once again on the losing side as the Spaniards won 1-0.

Despite starting in the recent Nations League match against Italy, his fortunes for the Three Lions did not improve. England was defeated 1-0 in the San Siro and was facing relegation from the competition’s top flight.

Victor Lindelof has had a similarly disappointing start to the season after missing the first four games due to injury.

In his first game back, the defender paired Maguire in a 1-0 loss to Sociedad. He was quickly replaced on the bench for the game against Sheriff Tiraspol.

Despite his lack of playing time for Manchester United, the 28-year-old was forced into the starting lineup for Sweden’s last Nations League match against Serbia, which resulted in a humiliating 4-1 defeat.

Both Maguire and Lindelof have contracts that expire in 2026 and 2025, respectively. With that in mind, United is unlikely to draft another center-back before releasing its present benchwarmers.

However, obtaining a component replacement is unlikely to be simple or inexpensive. Especially since Premier League and European opponents are also interested in young prospects like Bastoni.