Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are now reportedly facing competition for Nicolo Barella from Pep Guardiola’s
Manchester City.
According to TMW, Manchester City are keen on Nicolo Barella, a player Premier League rivals Liverpool are also interested
in signing from Inter Milan in the summer transfer window.
The Italian news outlet has claimed that City have fallen “in love” with Barella, with manager Pep Guardiola personally
“impressed” by the midfielder.
The former Barcelona boss believes that Barella would make his City team better, according to the report.
City, who won the Premier League, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League last season, are looking at Barella as a
potential replacement for Bernardo Silva.
Paris Saint-Germain are actively trying to sign Silva and have already had an initial bid for the star turned down.
In late June, Il Tempo reported that Liverpool are keen on Barella and are ready to make a bid of €80 million (£69.26
million) for the £154,000-a-week (SalarySport) Italy international midfielder.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp personally rates Barella highly.
According to Klopp, the midfielder is “aggressive”, “technical” and “can run for ages”.
Liverpool could struggle to sign Manchester City target Nicolo Barella
We believe that Liverpool could struggle to sign Nicolo Barella ahead of Manchester City in the summer transfer window.
According to TMW, Inter want as much as €120 million (£104 million) in transfer fees for the 26-year-old.
It is hard to see Liverpool cough up that much cash for yet another new midfielder.
Let us not forget that the Merseyside club have already signed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai in the summer transfer window.
We do not see FSG paying over £100 million for a single player.
Moreover, between City and Liverpool, Barella himself could pick the former.
After all, City regularly win major trophies and have one of the best teams on the planet, if not the best.
In Pep Guardiola, Barella would get a manager who could take his game to another level.
READ MORE:
Klopp creates ‘nine-man shortlist’ of Liverpool targets ahead of £52m double transfer
Jurgen Klopp has compiled a list of nine players that he wants Liverpool to consider signing as they look to replace Jordan
Henderson and Fabinho.
The Reds made two early signings this summer with Alexis Mac Allister arriving from Brighton for £35m and Dominik
Szoboszlai joining the Premier League club from RB Leipzig for £60m.
But the imminent departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia has thrown a spanner in the
works with Klopp now potentially needing at least two more midfielders.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed Henderson’s £12m move to join former team-mate Steven Gerrard at
Al Ettifaq is “done” with just some final bits of paperwork to sort out
On Fabinho, Romano added that ‘the Brazilian midfielder has already agreed terms and the clubs remain in contact
discussing key details of the proposal’ with claims the fee will be around £40m.
Liverpool have already allowed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita to leave Anfield on free transfers
this summer and now The Sun claims Klopp has created a ‘nine-man shortlist of potential midfield targets’.
READ MORE: Mediawatch: Liverpool could hijack Chelsea move or sign Lavia AND Doucoure as two £80m transfer plans emerge
The Sun name Sofyan Amrabat, Ryan Gravenberch, Kalvin Phillips and Romeo Lavia as the original four from Klopp’s first
shortlist before Henderson and Fabinho looked likely to leave.
And now he has reportedly added Moises Caicedo, Cheick Doucoure, Aurelien Tchouameni, Joao Palhinha and Khephren
Thuram as possible summer targets.
Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique thinks the Reds should turn to Gravenberch or Lavia to replace the potential loss of Fabinho.
Enrique told Grosvenor Sport: “I think it will be a mistake for Liverpool to let Henderson go and they need to rebuild. It all
depends on the back-up options they are going to sign if Fabinho and Henderson leave.
“Who they bring in will determine whether or not it is a mistake to let them go and it will be interesting to see if they go with
Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, I love them but they are too young to get Liverpool competing for trophies again. But if they
go into the market they have to make sure they get the right replacements.
“I believe they need another player there anyway because Stefan Bajcetic is just coming back from injury and we’ll have to
see how he does. I love him as a player but after a big injury you don’t know if he is going to be the same, hopefully he is, but
they definitely need another player there.
“I love Romeo Lavia from Southampton. It depends on the fee but I love him because he’s a Liverpool kind of signing; he’s a
19-year-old, very young but already has lots of experience.
“Sofyan Amrabat is in the same position but it is a different signing for Liverpool because he is older so I would rather go for
someone like Ryan Gravenberch for example, he is a very good option. If Liverpool let Fabinho go then I would sign Romeo
Lavia or Ryan Gravenberch.”
Liverpool could need two more midfielders
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