Liverpool have reportedly approached the agent of Domenico Berardi, who is valued at around €50 million by Serie A outfit Sassuolo, over a potential move this summer.
According to the print edition of Corriere Dello Sport, as relayed by Paisley Gates, Liverpool have made a move to sign Domenico Berardi. The US Sassuolo star has attracted the Premier League giants following his performances for club and country, with the club now exploring a possibility of a potential move to Anfield.
The report claims Liverpool have contacted Berardi’s agents and are ready to move the deal forward. The winger will not be available for a cut-price fee, though, with the Serie A outfit valuing him at around €40 million to €50 million.
Berardi has become quite an icon at Sassuolo, having initially made his breakthrough in the 2012/13 campaign. He has since notched up almost 300 competitive appearances for the club, scoring 86 goals while chipping in with 56 assists.
The 26-year-old particularly thrived under the leadership of Roberto De Zerbi, who is no longer at the club. The Italian attacker has notably been involved in as many as 49 league goals over the last couple of seasons in Serie A, often emerging as Sassuolo’s weapon-in-chief going forward.
Berardi’s performances have not gone unnoticed either, with the winger starting the UEFA Euro 2020 campaign as a regular member of Roberto Mancini’s Italy side. He eventually lost his place to reported Chelsea target Federico Chiesa, who has also been linked with Liverpool, but his contributions early on in the campaign were vital in helping the Azurris emerge victorious in the coveted competition.
Liverpool’s interest in the 26-year-old stems from their lack of depth in the wide attacking department. In recent years, the club has overly relied on the services of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in terms of chance creation and productivity, while other options like Takumi Minamino and Xherdan Shaqiri have all struggled to make an impression.
Speaking of the creative unit, Liverpool also lost Georginio Wijnaldum in the summer, prompting Jurgen Klopp to eye a potential move for Saul Niguez of Atletico Madrid.
The desire to sign Berardi, though, is interesting given Liverpool do have three quality wingers. It appears Klopp is open to employing Salah as a centre-forward next season. The Italian himself can operate as a false nine, although he does prefer playing out wide, which gives him the freedom to take on defenders and provide crosses into the box.
It goes hand in hand with Liverpool’s tactical philosophy. But it remains to be seen whether or not the Reds are ready to splash around €50 million for Berardi, especially at a time when they largely require a new striker who can be an upgrade over Roberto Firmino next season.
