Liverpool could make a move for £50m Serie A star in the ‘next days or weeks’.
Liverpool could switch attention to making a move for Inter Milan star Nicolo Barella in the second part of the summer window, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed exclusively to GIVEMESPORT.
Barella has been subject to interest from across the continent, but Romano has tipped the Reds to remain in the hunt for his signature.
Liverpool transfer news – Nicolo Barella
Shining for Inter during their sensational run to the Champions League final, the eyes of the European football world have been locked on the movements of Barella for some time.
Newcastle were the first to blink, with the North-East outfit reportedly in talks to sign the combative midfielder for a fee in the region of £50 million.
That was according to Sky Sports, who claimed Eddie Howe’s side were leading the race to land the Italian’s signature this summer, despite suggestions it would cost much more for Inter to sanction a sale.
Liverpool, much like Newcastle, have been monitoring the progress of the 44-cap international for a considerable period, with a recent report by The Independent detailing the Reds’ interest as similar to their Premier League rivals.
According to the story, Jurgen Klopp sees Barella as the ideal candidate to improve the six-time European champions’ midfield having previously called him “top class”, while also complementing the talents of recent purchase Alexis Mac Allister, who arrived from Brighton & Hove Albion for £35 million earlier in the transfer window.
What has Fabrizio Romano said about Barella to Liverpool?
While admitting the Barella deal would be a difficult one to pull off, transfer expert Romano did concede that Liverpool’s interest was genuine and they would continue to explore a move.
On the 26-year-old, Romano exclusively told GIVEMESPORT: “The reported fee of £50 million for Barella is not going to be enough for any club to sign him. Inter want way more than this and it is not going to be an easy negotiation in any case. For Liverpool, he is appreciated yes, but they are not sure yet that this is the kind of player they need. Let’s see in the next days or weeks.”
What would Barella offer Klopp and Liverpool?
There’s little surprise so many clubs are courting Barella’s services, with the Italian international among the most-sought after talents in European football.
A midfielder who can seemingly do it all, the Inter man, according to WhoScored statistics, averaged an impressive 1.6 key passes per game in Serie A last season.
Couple that with the 1.7 shots per 90 minutes he averaged during Inter’s Champions League run, and it’s clear to see why interest is so rife in Barella.
Granted, the finances might not necessarily match up with Liverpool’s usual approach, but should the opportunity arise to sign Barella from Inter, the Mersyside-based outfit should do everything they can to secure a deal.