Nicolo Barella is reportedly insistent on only moving to Manchester United in the future amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
According to FCInternews via Sport Witness, Nicolo Barella could be interested in moving to Manchester United amid recent interest from rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The Inter Milan midfielder has reportedly insisted he would only move to Old Trafford in the Premier League if current circumstances change.
In no way has Barella put himself on the transfer market or made any claim to suggest he is unhappy at Inter. But his future at Inter Milan has been called into question future after Antonio Conte was linked to the Manchester United job. With Solskjaer’s future thought to be in danger after the Liverpool loss, Conte was the favourite to replace the Norwegian.
However, things have changed dramatically for Solskjaer, who protected his job for the time being after beating Tottenham last weekend. The defeat led Spurs to sack Nuno Espirito Santo and confirmed the appointment of Antonio Conte as their new manager. Since Barella was a key player under the Italian at Inter for the last two seasons, the links of a possible transfer to Tottenham have surfaced.
Tottenham are understood to have made a comprehensive list of targets, vetted by Conte. The club could target these players in the next window or possibly in the summer. However, Barella may have other ideas than joining the north London outfit.
The report suggests the Italian international is more interested in moving to Manchester United if an opportunity arises in the future. Conte’s recent links to replace Solskjaer might have made Inter Milan a bit nervous, as they feared losing Barella to their former manager.
In any case, Inter could have extracted top value for the Euro 2020 winner, who has a contract until 2024. While Manchester United might have the financial muscle to sign someone pricey as Barella, Tottenham may not possess such luxury. In any case, there are other Premier League sides keen on the player, giving the Italian many lucrative options if he decides to leave.
Someone of Barella’s quality would have been a fine addition to Conte’s new project at Tottenham. As for Manchester United have shown an interest in the past, although if they want to sign on the Italian, it could only be next summer, when they are more settled and room is created in midfield with the potential exits of Paul Pogba and Donny van de Beek.
As for Barella, he has been a great addition to Inter. He was key under Conte’s management at the club, which helped secure the Serie A title last term. The midfielder has continued to perform well this season as Inter sit in third place, seven points behind Napoli and Milan. While the UEFA Euro 2020 winner harbours hopes of a switch to Manchester United, there is nothing to suggest that he will be on the move in the immediate future.