Inter now fear Liverpool could make “monstrous offer” for Nicolo Barella
FSG could force their hand as they race to tie up a new contract…
Liverpool rebuilt incredibly well during the summer transfer window, welcoming Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai to replace the likes of Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Fabinho in a midfield overhaul. Reaping the rewards ever since, the Reds now find themselves in a Premier League title race, leading the way against both Arsenal and Manchester City. Even when in the middle of that title race, however, Liverpool have turned some of their attention towards next summer, when they could reportedly look to repeat their transfer trick by landing one particular European star and submitting a “monstrous offer” to his current club. The Reds are undoubtedly back to their best under Jurgen Klopp after failing to qualify for the Champions League last season. But that’s not to say they couldn’t do with further improvements. If they are to add trophies to their returned form, then Liverpool may well need to return to the transfer market for even more midfield talent. The last thing that those at Anfield will want is to endure a summer of panic once again in pursuit of reinforcements, and it appears FSG are already tempted by a big move. According to Milan-based outlet Linterista, translated by Sport Witness, Inter are worried that Liverpool will come in with a “monstrous offer” to sign Nicolo Barella, forcing their hand to reach a new deal with the midfielder sooner rather than later. The Italian’s current contract is set to expire in 2026, meaning that he currently has just two years before he can leave the club on a free deal. The last thing that Inter want is to be backed into a corner and left with little choice but to accept an offer for Barella, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United all reportedly interested in landing his signature. There are not many players who could instantly make an incredible impact on Liverpool’s new midfield, but Barella is certainly one of the few who could. There’s even an argument that he would be the Reds’ best option in the middle of the park. Barella’s stats this season compared to the current options at Anfield certainly suggest as much. Even when not at his best, Barella has earned the praise of those in Italy, with Christian Vieri telling Bobo TV via FCInterNews: “Barella isn’t at his best. But that’s okay, I don’t see this as a big problem. Inzaghi now has a very strong bench. So this season, if Barella is tired, he gets to rest and Frattesi plays in his stead. I always considered Barella a great midfielder. In my opinion, he remains a point of reference for the manager.” With that said, it’s no wonder Inter are concerned over the possibility of the likes of Liverpool presenting an offer for their midfielder, given his clear ability in the middle of the park. The impressive defender caught the eye with a sublime performance on Tuesday. Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League table, at least until Arsenal play on Thursday, as they beat Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor on Boxing Day. Goals from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota secured all three points for Jurgen Klopp’s side in what was an impressive display from the Reds. The opener came in the 6th minute as Nunez brilliantly found the bottom right corner from the edge of the box. Jota then sealed the win in the 90th minute with a fine finish at the near post from Luis Diaz’s assist. Cody Gakpo started through the middle and put in a fantastic performance but the true hero for Klopp on Tuesday was Virgil van Dijk at the back. The Dutch attacker started the game strongly with the assist for Nunez’s opening goal. He ran down the left channel and held the ball up well before laying it off to the Uruguay international for him to find the back of the net from 20 yards. Liverpool’s centre-forward was also incredibly unlucky when the referee blew up for a foul after his fine strike from just inside the box beat James Trafford. The replays appeared to show that Nunez made minimal, if any, contact with Charlie Taylor but VAR opted against a review. Gakpo also completed five of his eight attempted dribbles throughout the match and completed 93% (13/14) of his attempted passes in 67 minutes on the pitch. It was a terrific, dynamic, display from the former PSV ace but Reds skipper van Dijk put in a sublime showing at the heart of the defence. Liverpool failed to grab a second goal in the game before Jota’s 90th-minute strike and this meant that Burnley were one moment away from snatching a point for most of the match. This meant that the Reds defence had to constantly be on alert and one loss of concentration could have cost them a valuable victory at Turf Moor. Van Dijk ensured that Alisson did not have anything to contend with as the Dutch titan put in an imperious display to keep the hosts at bay. Burnley ended the game without a single shot on target and the former Southampton ace’s exceptional defensive efforts played a significant role in that. The experienced colossus won 100% (8/8) of his duels throughout the game, including all seven of his aerial contests, and this shows that he stood up to the physical test. Van Dijk also made six clearances and one interception, whilst no other Liverpool defender made any clearances. He was composed in possession of the ball to go along with his sensational defending. The central defender completed 93% (97/104) of his attempted passes and six of his nine long ball attempts, along with a 100% dribble success rate (1/1). These statistics show that the Liverpool skipper was reliable with the ball at his feet and dominant when the opposition attempted to get past him to trouble Alisson’s goal. Therefore, he was the true hero for Klopp as his monstrous performance at the back kept the side’s 1-0 advantage and stopped them from needing to chase the game late on. A Man Utd star’s performance went under the radar against Aston Villa.Liverpool transfer news
“Great” Barella would be an instant upgrade for Liverpool
Player
Progressive Carries
Progressive Passes
Passes into final third
Goals + Assists
Nicolo Barella
35
152
113
5
Alexis Mac Allister
15
80
57
2
Dominik Szoboszlai
51
108
65
4
Curtis Jones
10
31
28
1
Gakpo’s performance against Burnley in numbers
Van Dijk’s performance against Burnley in numbers
After an uninspiring 2-0 defeat on the road to West Ham United last weekend, Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United were in desperate need of a victory that would get the fans back on their side. Luckily, the Red Devils completed an incredible second-half comeback to claim a 3-2 win and an important three points. At half-time, boos were ringing around Old Trafford after the hosts conceded two very soft and avoidable goals from set pieces in the 21st and 26th minute. At that point, it seemed that United were set to suffer their ninth defeat of the season in the Premier League. Instead, the Red Devils won their tenth game of the season in the league and only their second in the last seven matches, which puts them in sixth place for the time being. United started the game slowly and only registered one attempt at goal prior to Villa’s two goals, but the reaction to going two behind was far better than the one versus the Hammers. In the first half, the possession statistics were exactly even, yet most of the half consisted of the hosts attempting to breach the Villa highline, with Ten Hag’s team getting caught offside six times. The boss clearly inspired the side during the interval, and they had the ball in the back of the net five minutes later through Alejandro Garnacho. Even though it was ruled out for offside, it lifted the crowd and gave the players belief. However, just before the hour mark, the Argentine did end United’s four-game goalless streak, and when the goal went in, it seemed only a matter of time before the second would arrive. The Red Devil’s press was relentless, and they only had 41% of the ball in the second half, but United were on top. The 19-year-old grabbed his brace with 20 minutes to go, and Rasmus Hojlund scored his first Premier League goal to steal the victory. Overall, they only had six shots in the second half and scored three goals from an xG of 0.73, proving that Ten Hag’s side were clinical for the first time this season. Despite Garnacho scoring a brace and being handed a 9/10 rating by Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, Bruno Fernandes was one of the best on the field, with his performance going under the radar – despite only earning a 6/10 match rating from Luckhurst. The Portuguese midfielder created three chances, which was the most in the game, but he did lose possession 25 times, slightly more than you would hope for but understandable given his role to create. The table below sums up Fernandes’ game in numbers. Although he didn’t register a goal contribution, the captain was instrumental in the build-up and for each goal, acting as the connector between midfield and attack. He tackled Douglas Luiz and played Marcus Rashford through on goal for the first, drifted out wide and made the cross that led to the second, and took the corner that Hojlund scored from. While it may have understandably been the youthful duo of Garnacho and Hojlund who stole the headlines for getting on the scoresheet, it was Fernandes who was arguably something of a saviour for Ten Hag due to his performance in the centre of the park. Having gone four games without a win, the Dutchman needed his captain to step up – and boy did he. Tottenham are reportedly weighing up a January move for one of Man United manager Erik ten Hag’s top transfer targets in their search for a new defender.Man Utd’s stats vs Aston Villa
Bruno Fernandes’ game in numbers
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