Liverpool pulling out of the race to sign now Real Madrid-bound Jude Bellingham meant supporters had to find a new object of their desires ahead of the Reds' planned midfield revamp this summer.
Jurgen Klopp completed his first signing of the summer earlier this week, a £35m coup for World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister. Liverpool are plotting to sign at least two new midfielders, as a result, a plethora of names continue to be linked with a switch to Anfield.
Nicolo Barella is perhaps the most glamorous name who continues to be linked with Liverpool, as Kopites now switch attention to who will be the next midfield recruit at Anfield as Bellingham heads to the Bernabeu.
And the Inter Milan man is a player that both Reds boss Jurgen Klopp and assistant manager Pep Lijnders have publicly swooned over, to fuel the flames of such speculation further.
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“That Barella is not able to play is not bad for us,” the German said ahead of his side’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan last season. “He's a really good player, a really good player and I like him a lot.
“He has all the things you want from a midfield player: he is aggressive, he is technical, he can run for ages and all these kinds of things. That's a top-class player.”
Meanwhile, Lijnders would laud ‘the big heart and calmness’ of Barella in his Euro 2020 tactical diary for the Athletic after being impressed by his performances for eventual European champions Italy. The Dutchman would also recall how the midfielder caught his eye in his autobiography.
“On the Friday night we watched Inter against Salernitana in the hotel and [Nicolo] Barella was superb,” Lijnders recalled. “Jurgen asked me why I was laughing; we were in the middle of a discussion but I was watching the game with one eye and saw him play another incredible pass.
“‘I’m just so happy that he doesn’t feature against us,” I said. “Every attack starts with him, it’s scary.’”
As a result of such admiration, it should be no surprise to see Liverpool linked with the 26-year-old as they continue to plot their midfield revamp. The Daily Mail report that Reds scout Paul Goldrick has been a regular at Inter matches this season as he continues to report back on the Italian.
Boasting a reported price-tag of £60m, Barella would certainly be affordable if Liverpool did decide to follow up such interest this summer. And while it remains to be seen who exactly the Reds will move for as they look to strengthen their midfield, any potential hope of signing the Italian has reportedly been boosted.
The Italy international has scored a career-best eight goals already this season, while also returning the same number of assists, and has played a vital role in helping Inter reach the Champions League final.
Reports in Italy claimed Inter could have been forced to sell Barella if they missed out of the financial benefits of qualifying for the Champions League. However, even with the reversal of Juventus' 15-point penalty for illicit transfer activity, they managed to secure a place in the top four of Serie A to guarantee participation in the competition regardless of the result against Man City.
Barella’s future is arguably up in the air. Inter's 3rd-place finish will strengthen their financial resolve with some sources suggesting it would take 'silly money' to lure the Italian away from the club this summer. Liverpool's bargain deal to sign Mac Allister could also free up the funds needed to add another marquee signing to Klopp's engine room.
Liverpool will continue to scout the midfielder, with Klopp and Lijnders already convinced of his talents, potentially starting tonight as Barella looks to stop Manchester City from completing the treble.
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