Liverpool could be about to bring a world-class midfielder to Anfield, with his club facing a fire sale.
Jurgen Klopp is in the midst of an overhaul on Merseyside, bringing in Argentine World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister early on in the transfer window. Since then, a number of moves have been touted, including Khephren Thuram and Manu Kone.
But one long-term target is emerging as a possible option to strengthen and with Liverpool keen to add depth to the squad, another midfielder is almost a certainty now.
According to La Gazzetta della Sport in Italy, Nicolo Barella is wanted by the Reds, with talks taking place at the moment about lodging a concrete bid for the midfielder.
Journalist Rudy Galetti has tweeted that Barella's club, Inter Milan, view the star as unsellable – but with plenty of key assets linked with big moves away from the San Siro, the Nerazzurri may be forced to part with the Italian if a good offer comes in.
While Liverpool would love to sign Barella right now, however, it would seem unlikely that they currently have the financial might. The Reds pulled out of bidding for Jude Bellingham due to huge demands in terms of a transfer fee and haven't been in for £55m to £65m-rated Mason Mount either, despite rumoured interest before the window began.
Instead, the likes of Thuram and Kone have been mooted as alternatives, while Alexis Mac Allister cost just £35m in the end. Galetti himself has tweeted that Thuram should be expected to cost around similar.
Another Inter star, Andre Onana is also linked with the Premier League with Manchester United said to be chasing him.
Transfermarkt estimates Barella to be worth at €75 million.
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Liverpool transfer news is ramping up ahead of a huge overhaul at Anfield this summer.
Benjamin Pavard of Bayern Munich has been linked, while James Ward-Prowse is said to be on the shortlist. Celta Vigo's Gabri Veiga is a target and Khephren Thuram of Nice is said to be close to joining – but Manuel Ugarte is one star who reportedly won't be moving to Merseyside.
Meanwhile, Diogo Jota has told FFT that Liverpool can win the title in 2024.
