Manchester United and Liverpool are both reportedly interested in signing Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella as both clubs look to bolster their midfield.
According to a report from Italian outlet Calciomercato, Premier League bigwigs Manchester United and Liverpool are keen on signing Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella in the ongoing transfer window.
The 24-year-old has been with Inter Milan for two years now, having initially arrived on loan from Cagliari in 2019 before making his transfer permanent last summer. An integral part of the team at San Siro, Barella played a key role in the Nerazzurri’s first Serie A title triumph in over a decade and was a regular fixture in Italy’s UEFA Euro 2020 winning side.
Naturally, the midfielder is garnering a lot of attention after his exploits with club and country, with Manchester United and Liverpool both showing an interest in securing Barella’s services this summer.
Manchester United are in a precarious situation with regard to the future of star midfielder Paul Pogba. The Frenchman is in the final year of his contract with the club, and there have been little to no indications that a renewal could be on the cards. This has forced the Red Devils to assess their options and keep an eye on the market for replacements, with Barella emerging as one.
As for Liverpool, the situation is much more straightforward. The Reds need to fill the huge void left in their midfield department by the departure of Georginio Wijnaldum, who ran down his contract at Anfield and signed for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. With question marks surrounding the futures of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita, another midfielder would be a welcome addition.
This has seen Liverpool get linked with a host of names over the past few weeks, with Barella also being viewed as an option in case they miss out on Saul Niguez of Atletico Madrid. The Spaniard, who is also on the radars of Manchester United, is being tipped to sign for Barcelona, which would force Liverpool to look at alternatives such as Barella.
Despite the speculations, it is widely expected that Barella signs a new contract with Inter Milan and stays put. While the Nerazzurri’s financial situation forced them into cashing in on Achraf Hakimi, they are likely to knock back any approaches for Barella this summer, much like they have been doing with Romelu Lukaku, rejecting Chelsea’s latest bid for the Belgian.
