Liverpool could reignite their interest in Inter’s Nicolo Barella, with the midfielder edging closer to the exit at San Siro, according to one report.
26-year-old Barella has long been touted as Liverpool transfer target, with Jurgen Klopp among his admirers.
Speaking ahead of a Champions League clash with Inter back in 2022, the Reds boss called the Italy midfielder a ‘top-class player’.
Klopp told reporters: “He’s a really good player and I like him a lot.
“He has all the things you want from a midfield player: he is aggressive, he is technical, he can run for ages and all these kinds of things. That’s a top-class player.”
Klopp’s number two, Pep Lijnders, has also been publicly complimentary of Barella in the past.
In his book, Intensity: Inside Liverpool FC, the assistant coach wrote: “On the Friday night we watched Inter against Salernitana in the hotel, and Barella was superb.
“Jurgen asked me why I was laughing; we were in the middle of a discussion, but I was watching the game with one eye and saw him play another incredible pass. ‘I’m just so happy that he doesn’t feature against us,’ I said. ‘Every attack starts with him, it’s scary.'”
According to a recent report, the Reds – along with several other clubs – enquired about the Inter star this summer, but were quickly rebuffed. However, a big-money sale in 2024 could not be ruled out.
Now Il Romanista claim that Barella’s sale has been given the ‘green light’ by Inter, with Liverpool waiting in the wings.
It is said that while last season’s Champions League finalists would prefer to keep their number 23, they are ready to listen to big offers – with a potential departure softened by the rise of midfield summer signing Davide Frattesi, who joined on loan from Sassuolo.
Il Romanista’s report claims that Liverpool have ‘have never given up hope’ of signing Barella – who is on the shortlist for the 2023 Ballon d’Or – and ‘remain vigilant’ on possible developments to his situation.
While talk of Liverpool’s interest in a world-class talent such as Barella is exciting, there are reasons to be skeptical.
The Reds have just overseen a massive midfield overhaul that saw them spend around £145m on four new players – Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.
As a result, adding expensive additions to the centre of the park, no longer seems like a priority, unless anyone else departs, and it is Anfield Watch’s understanding that Liverpool’s priority in the upcoming transfer windows will be recruiting in defence, with Yukinari Sugawara and Gonçalo Inacio among those being looked at.
In addition, while links to Barella have been around for some time across multiple sources, Il Romanista is typically a Roma-based site, meaning information about Inter and, indeed, Liverpool may not be the most credible.
