Liverpool find perfect but difficult idea with reported Nicolo Barella interest

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Liverpool want Nicolo Barella, according to reports. He’d be an ideal signing but one that would be very difficult to pull off.

CalcioMercato believes Liverpool, along with Tottenham Hotspur, want Nicolo Barella. The Internazionale midfielder is making a name for himself.

He earned plaudits for a performance just this week, in fact. Barella shone against Juventus as Inter made a title-race statement with a 2-0 win.

Thus it’s not surprise that Liverpool could want Barella. But this is an idea that is both perfect and difficult.

Ideal

With Gini Wijnaldum’s contract expiring at the end of the season, it feels likely that Liverpool will be a man light in midfield.

And how do you replace Wijnaldum? He’s been a fantastic player for years now, helping deliver the club game’s biggest honours.

Well, Barella is about as good a replacement as you could dream of. He’s a very versatile centre-midfielder, capable in both attack and defence.

Barella has plenty of energy, too, and is a fierce competitor. That sounds very cliché, yes, but the Italian fits the description as well as anyone.

For Liverpool’s midfield, that’s all perfect. The Reds want midfielders who adapt to situations. They want them to cover players and defend deep but also show ability going forward with passing and counter-attacking.

That jack-of-all-trades idea has carried them to glory – Wijnaldum is a great example.

Then there’s the potential in Barella. He’s still only 23 but has been playing regular Serie A football since 2016. Barella is developing steadily and the jump from Cagliari to Inter benefitted that development.

And just to sum up how perfect Barella could be, we’ll go back to a 2015 report from Gazzetta Dello Sport that labelled the then-teenager a ‘Sardinian Steven Gerrard’.

What could be more ideal than that?

Difficult

Inter paid around £43m to sign Barella (per the Athletic) and only officially paid that in 2020 – he was on loan before then. Given his fine form and improvement, they’re going to want a lot more than that.

Especially as Gazzetta Dello Sport claims they see him as untouchable.

Barella is also an Inter fan. He may not want to leave anywhere anytime soon.

So this could be a near-impossible one to pull off. He’d likely cost a fortune and not entirely be up for a move.

Not to mention that any very expensive transfers would limit the money to spend elsewhere. And we think Liverpool might need it for other areas.

So while Barella might be a perfect target, he’s likely one we merely wish for.