Liverpool will have to pay a huge fee if they’re to tempt Inter Milan into selling midfield star Nicolo Barella this summer.
That’s according to The Mirror, who claim that the 25-year-old would cost Liverpool at least £75m. This would reportedly be the lower end of the estimate, with Barella claimed to potentially cost up to £100m.
It’s claimed that Liverpool do in-fact have interest in the Italy international, though. The Reds have reportedly been scouting him since before he joined Inter in 2020.
Barella is said to be interested in a move to the Premier League. However, his ‘eye-watering’ transfer fee could prove to be an obstacle for Liverpool.
Barella impresses Klopp
Thiago Alcantara’s injury at the weekend has seen renewed vigour amongst fans for a new midfielder to be brought in.
Should Liverpool feel the need to dip into the market, then Barella would be right at the top of many supporters’ wish-lists.
It’s easy to see why, too. The Euro 2020 winner is very much an all-rounder in the middle of the park. His combative displays led to him being called ‘aggressive’ by none other than Jurgen Klopp via Eurosport. But he’s far more than an enforcer. Barella is capable of impacting the game in-and-around both boxes.
It wasn’t meant as a criticism from Klopp, though. Far from it. The Liverpool boss called the Italian ‘top-class’ in the same interview before The Reds faced Inter in last season’s Champions League.
Barella missed both of those games, meaning that he couldn’t take advantage of a Darwin Nunez esque audition in-front of Klopp.
But that’s unlikely to deter Liverpool. His quality is clear, and he would certainly add bite and firepower to a midfield which could do with a bit of both.
If the price really is quite so high, then that could certainly put paid to any deal. But Inter are well-known to be a little strapped for cash right now. With Barella one of their most saleable assets, perhaps some wiggle room could be found.
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