Liverpool really want to sign £70m player now, they’re flying out to watch him tonight
Liverpool are the club pushing the most to prise Nicolo Barella away from Inter Milan this summer.
Barella has been linked with a move to Anfield for a number of years now, but has never felt especially close to leaving Italy. But now, as journalist Gianluca Di Marzio told Sky Sports, Liverpool are set to ramp up their interest.
He claims that the Reds watched the 26-year-old live in the flesh at the end of April. Having presumably been impressed, they’ll reportedly be in Milan again for tonight’s Champions League semi-final.
“I can say that Liverpool are looking forward to [watching] him [tonight]. They were here in the stadium in Milan to see him face Lazio [on April 30th],” Di Marzio reported.
“I don’t know if Liverpool will get him, I don know if Inter will sell him, but I can say that Liverpool are one of the most interested clubs looking forward to Barella.”
Liverpool in the picture for Barella
As Liverpool look for the right solutions to their midfield problem, Barella’s name has frequently been mentioned. A gifted all-round player, it’s easy to see why the Reds would be attracted to the Italy international.
But as Di Marzio suggests, there are plenty of pitfalls in this one. Since arriving in 2019, Barella has been one of Inter’s best and most high-profile players. Selling him would be hugely unpopular with the fans.
Although there have been reports that the Nerazzurri could be forced to cash in on him, Barella has also previously had a £70m price-tag slapped on him. With the best will in the world, that isn’t a fee Liverpool will pay right now.
There should also be some slight reservations over his desire to move to Liverpool. Perhaps more than in any other top European league, Italian players are often loathe to leaving their home country to play abroad. There have been claims that Barella would fall into this category.
As a result, we still feel like this is a real outside shot. At present, it appears much more likely that Liverpool will bring in the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Mason Mount. Ironically, it could be that a good performance from Barella tonight would make the prospect of him joining Liverpool even more remote.
Still, Di Marzio tends to know what he’s talking about, especially in regards to Italian clubs. He was the first to break the Arthur transfer news back in September, for example. So, perhaps there is still something in this after all. Either way, a few Reds will no doubt have a close eye on Nicolo and what he could bring to Liverpool in San Siro this evening.
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