Liverpool set sights on classy £75m Inter ‘gem’ as battle with Real Madrid, Man City looms

Liverpool reportedly hold interest in Inter Milan’s midfield playmaker Nicolo Barella, though they will face competition for him from three major clubs including Real Madrid and Manchester City.

As per Fichajes , a host of sides around Europe are keen on Inter ‘gem’ Barella but it is Liverpool , Real Madrid, Man City and Atletico Madrid who are heading up the list of his potential suitors. There are several reasons why the likes of Liverpool and Man City are eager to sign the Italy star, the first of which being his performances against Pep Guardiola’s side.

Barella has ‘outperformed’ world-class midfielder Rodri in recent games against Man City , showing that he has the ability to be an elite star for one of Europe’s very top clubs.

Fichajes add that Inter’s ‘complex’ financial situation has put rival Champions League sides on alert. It is thought that the Serie A giants may need to consider some big sales over the next year, and Barella is one player who has picked up lots of interest.

Plus, at 27 years of age Barella is entering his peak years, and he may well be tempted to spend them in either England or Spain. Barella has never played outside of his native Italy and a huge transfer to the Premier League or La Liga would therefore represent an exciting new challenge.

Although, Inter have managed to tie Barella down to a long-term contract that runs until June 2029, which means they will initially demand a big fee for his signature.

The report claims that Liverpool, City, Real Madrid or Atleti will need to bid €90million (£75.1m / $97.2m) to get Inter to consider his sale next summer.

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Where will Barella go next?

Manchester United have previously been credited with interest in Barella, but Fabrizio Romano downplayed such rumours on September 26 .

Instead, it looks like City and Madrid will provide Liverpool with the fiercest competition to snap the classy No 8 up.

Reports have previously claimed that City boss Guardiola is ‘in love’ with Barella’s style of play.

The two-time Serie A winner could be signed by City as a replacement for Matheus Nunes, who rarely plays, and as a successor to Ilkay Gundogan, ready for when the 33-year-old midfield ace hangs up his boots.

Madrid, meanwhile, have identified Barella as a replacement for legendary figure Toni Kroos, who retired at the end of last season.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is known to be on the hunt for midfield reinforcements, despite the great form of players such as Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.

However, it must be noted that Slot’s priority for the midfield is to land a No 6. It remains to be seen whether Liverpool chiefs will sanction an expensive deal for a new defensive midfielder in addition to Barella.

READ MORE: Slot served painful reminder over Liverpool failure to sign ‘second best’ player in the world

Liverpool news: Winger price, contract boost

Meanwhile, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have found out how much they will need to pay to sign Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Borussia Dortmund’s latest English starlet.

Bynoe-Gittens spent time in the City academy but left for Dortmund in September 2020. He worked his way up the ranks with the German giants and is now thriving in their first team.

The left winger, who loves to cut inside on his stronger right foot, has notched four goals and two assists in nine appearances so far this term.

Both Liverpool and Tottenham have scouted Bynoe-Gittens on several occasions and they have reportedly been told he will cost £40-50m (up to €59.7m / $65m) .

Liverpool are not just in the market for new signings, as they are also determined to tie down some of their best players to new contracts.

TEAMtalk can reveal that Anfield chiefs are ‘calm and confident’ they can agree new deals with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk .

Alexander-Arnold is flattered by interest from Madrid but his heart is with Liverpool and he is expected to pen a bumper new contract in the near future.

Van Dijk has emerged as a target for Saudi Pro League clubs, though Liverpool will ramp up contract talks with the centre-back over the coming weeks as they look to prevent such a move.

Mo Salah, however, is preparing to run down his Liverpool deal ahead of a lucrative transfer to Saudi Arabia at the end of the campaign.

Barella’s Inter stats

Barella’s stats from his first five Inter seasons