Liverpool are exploring the possibility of signing Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella after calling off their pursuit of Jude Bellingham.
One of the Reds’ most drawn-out transfer sagas of recent times seemingly came to an end last night. GOAL, as well as just about every reputable outlet in the country, reporting that Bellingham will not be moving to Anfield this summer.
So then, who will? Liverpool badly need two or three top-class midfielders this summer. With no Bellingham to pay for, a massive chunk of their budget just became available.
Well, according to GOAL there are a number of candidates being explored. One of which is Inter’s midfield maestro Barella. The 26-year-old is said to be ‘admired’ by Liverpool. So too are Dutch pair Ryan Gravenberch and Teun Koopmeiners.
More names are also thrown into the mix, with Salzburg’s Luka Sucic also deemed worthy of mentioning. Meanwhile the Reds are said to be ‘keen’ on Mason Mount.
Barella the dream alternative for Liverpool
If Liverpool go from Bellingham to Barella, then Liverpool fans shouldn’t be too disheartened. Of course, the Borussia Dortmund man was the dream for many fans. Capable of leading the Reds midfield for the next decade and taking over Steven Gerrard’s legacy, there was so much to like about him moving to Anfield.
But Barella would be a heck of a consolation. The 26-year-old demonstrated as much last night, stealing into the box to bury a header during Inter’s 2-0 Champions League quarter-final win over Benfica. That was his seventh goal of the campaign – his most productive since 2018/19.
Goals aside though, Barella offers plenty in the midfield. Capable of grabbing games by the scruff of the neck, he’s a player who Steven Gerrard recently described as being ‘potentially world-class.’
We’d argue that there’s no potentially about it, the Italy international is already one of the best midfielders around.
He may not be as young as some of the other options being mentioned, but that shouldn’t put Liverpool off. At twenty-six he’s coming into his prime. If there’s a chance that the Reds can bring him in for those golden years, then they absolutely should.
Unfortunately though, we just don’t see Barella leaving Italy. Inter aren’t having the best of campaigns but they’ll still be in the mix for domestic and continental honours every season. Right now, the same can’t really be said of Liverpool.