Jamie Carragher delivered 'daft' Alessandro Bastoni verdict after Liverpool incident

Liverpool is being linked with a transfer move for Inter Milan center-back Alessandro Bastoni once again, with Arne Slot's side having faced him in the Champions League this season

Alessandro Bastoni is chased by Dominik Szoboszlai during Inter vs Liverpool in the Champions League.(Image: Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

With Marc Guehi seemingly on the way to Manchester City, it can be expected that Liverpool will be linked with lots of center-backs before the month is out.

In addition to Guehi opting to move to the Etihad Stadium, of course, there has been no progress yet on Ibrahima Konate's contract situation and Virgil van Dijk will turn 35 in the summer. With Joe Gomez injury-prone and Giovanni Leoni not due back until pre-season, center-back could become a problem position.

With that in mind, Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni is the latest to be linked with a big-money move to Anfield. At 26, he is at the peak of his powers and wouldn't come cheap.

According to TeamTalk, Bastoni would be open to leaving Inter and joining a Premier League club, with the Italian one of the options on the table for Liverpool.

Valued at around $93 million (£69 million), Bastoni would be an elite signing and with only two years left on his contract in the summer, it might be the best possible time to try and entice him.

Earlier this season, Bastoni came up against Liverpool in the Champions League. That 1-0 win for the Reds was one of the stand-out performances of the season from Arne Slot's side.

Alessandro Bastoni has been linked with a move to Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

Indeed, Bastoni gave away a penalty when he was adjudged to have pulled on Florian Wirtz's jersey, though it was an incredibly harsh call. Dominik Szoboszlai converted in the 88th minute to seal an important victory.

"I’d be very disappointed if this went against me or my team," Jamie Carragher said on CBS Sports.

"What I’d say is, I don’t think that’s a penalty, but if I were an Inter Milan player or the manager, I’d say, ‘What are you doing grabbing his shirt and giving the referee a decision to make?’

"I don’t think it’s a penalty, but just don’t pull his shirt. It’s not like he’s pulling him back because he’s going through on goal.

"He [Wirtz] has got his back to goal; he’s going nowhere. He [Bastoni] only has himself to blame there, but I do think it was a bit harsh.

"[Manuel Akanji] said about his own player, ‘What are you doing grabbing his shirt in the box like that?’.

"It’s daft, isn’t it? It’s not like it’s a panic where someone’s going through on goal and you do something instinctively. I think it’s harsh, but he gave the referee an opportunity [to award the penalty]."