Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni this summer and the Italian could be a dream heir to Thiago Silva in Graham Potter's side.

Could Chelsea sign Alessandro Bastoni?

According to the Italian news outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, Chelsea and Manchester City are both keeping a close eye on the defender's contract situation at the San Siro.

Having recently lost influential centre-back Milan Skriniar to Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, the Nerazzuri are keen to avoid a repeat with Bastoni but are yet to agree to a new contract with the 23-year-old, whose current £88k-per-week deal is due to expire in the summer of 2024.

That could lead to a summer exit and Chelsea will patiently be waiting, with the report claiming that the Blues already asked about potentially signing the Italy international during the negotiations which saw Romelu Lukaku return to Inter on loan last summer.

Is Bastoni like Thiago Silva?

Todd Boehly has already spent big on centre-backs during his time at Stamford Bridge, with Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile all joining the club over the past year.

However, the Blues could soon be back in the market for a defender, as 38-year-old Silva suffered knee ligament damage during the 2-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur last month, which at his age, may be tough to recover from.

The Brazilian does have another year left on his Chelsea contract but must surely be nearing the end of his career at the top level, while Koulibaly will also turn 32 in a few months, so he cannot be considered a long-term heir to the former AC Milan brute in the heart of Potter's defence.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Chelsea v AFC Bournemouth - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - December 27, 2022 Chelsea's Thiago Silva celebrates after the match REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications.  Please contact your account representative for further details.

In Bastoni, Chelsea would be signing a progressive young defender who boasts 148 senior appearances for Inter, as well as 17 caps for Italy, which suggests that he is far more experienced than his age would suggest.

This season has seen the left-sided defender make 21 appearances in Serie A, contributing two assists and averaging a solid 6.76 rating from WhoScored for his performances, while he has also been a crucial player for Simone Inzagi's side in the Champions League, averaging a superb 7.13 rating.

In an interview with Football FanCast last year, Serie A expert Conor Clancy delivered his verdict on the Inter star, amid links to Spurs.

He said: "He's the best Italian centre-back around. He's a phenomenon. He is going to be the next generation of Italian defence himself."

Silva and Bastoni average very similar numbers when it comes to tackles (1.7 vs 1.6) and long balls (both 4.8) per game, while WhoScored claims that both players' main strengths are their passing and concentration, which suggests that the Italian could be an ideal heir to the experienced Brazilian in Potter's squad.