Despite the hefty number of central-midfield options that Liverpool currently have in their squad, the fact that the likes of Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson and James Milner have all hit or gone past the age of 30, suggests to us that the Merseyside club should be looking to replace these players at some point in the near future.
However, it seems as though that is exactly what the club could be looking to do in the next summer transfer window.
What's the news?
It has recently been reported by Italian media outlet Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) that Liverpool have shown an interest in signing Inter Milan's 24-year-old midfielder Nicolo Barella.
Barella originally joined Inter on a loan deal from Cagliari back in the 2019 summer transfer window before signing him on a permanent deal in September 2020.
Overall, the midfielder, who is currently valued at £58.5m according to Transfermarkt, has made 97 appearances for the club across all competitions in which he has managed to score eight goals and provide an impressive 27 assists along the way, which makes it understandable why Liverpool are apparently interested in signing the Italian.
Wijnaldum replacement?
In addition to some of Liverpool's more senior current midfielders, the fact the club failed to find a replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum, perhaps means Barella could be seen as a suitable long-term replacement for the Dutchman.
The former left the club over the summer after making more appearances than any other Liverpool player in the league last season alongside Andy Robertson but the Reds opted to just bring in defender Ibrahima Konate during the window.
Barella managed to score three goals and provide seven assists in Serie A last season, meaning he could be an even more attacking version of the box to box Wijnaldum if he joins Liverpool. The latter managed to chip in with two goals in 38 league appearances last season for comparison.
In addition to his goals and assists, Barella has also managed to make 2.1 key passes per game in Serie A so far this season, creating eight big chances, showing his attacking and creative prowess.
In our view, if Liverpool are interested in signing Barella next summer, they should definitely explore the possibility to see if Inter would be willing to sell him at a price that the Merseyside club would be willing to pay, especially considering his age and attacking ability from midfield.
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