Steven Gerrard has given his seal of approval to Liverpool in their pursuit of Inter star Nicolo Barella by lauding his performance against Jude Bellingham.
Barella, 26, was in action again on Wednesday as he helped Inter dominate arch rivals AC Milan in their Champions League semi-final clash, with his team coming out worthy 2-0 winners in a one-sided first leg. Former Premier League stars Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan each scored inside the opening 11 minutes for Inter to give Simone Inzaghi 's men a commanding lead going into the second leg.
In midfield, Barella was the engine and produced another impressive display worthy of his reported €70million (£62m) price tag. Liverpool have long been linked with the Italy international and since abandoning their pursuit of Bellingham, the Reds' focus has been on finding an alternative midfielder to kickstart Jurgen Klopp 's rebuild.
Before the game, Liverpool legend Gerrard heaped praise on Barella to signal his glowing opinion of him, referencing a clash between the 26-year-old dynamo and Bellingham during Euro 2024 qualifying in March. "He's creative, he can nick important goals," the former Reds captain began on BT Sport.
"I watched him against England in Naples and he was involved in all parts of the game. He did really well against the England midfield - Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice. He's at a good age as well, coming into his prime."
Bellingham's England came out on top that night, winning 2-1 away from home, with Barella making way shortly after the hour mark. Gerrard wasn't the only pundit to reserve praise for the Italian midfielder, as ex-teammate Peter Crouch was in full agreement after watching Barella score in each leg of Inter's quarter-final win against Portuguese giants Benfica which booked a mouth-watering clash with cross-city foes Milan in the semis.
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"He was crucial in the Benfica games," the former Liverpool striker affirmed. "He's got great feet, tenacious as well and decent in the tackle. The first game he was the difference. There's many, many admirers, Liverpool being one at the moment."
If reports are to be believed, Crouch is correct. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter might be forced to sell Barella in the summer transfer window if they fail to finish in the top four of Serie A or win the Champions League, either of which would secure them qualification to Europe's premier competition next season.
They add that the Reds' interest in the Inter linchpin has grown since Klopp and co admitted defeat on Bellingham, but Paris Saint-Germain are also interested. Marco Verratti, Barella's team-mate at international level, is considering his future with the French giants which could open up a midfield vacancy.
