Nicolo Barella is gearing up for a potentially career-defining few weeks on and off the pitch.
Having shelved initial plans to track Borussia Dortmund and England starlet Jude Bellingham when the market reopens - due to immense financial costs involved - Jurgen Klopp and the recruitment team at Anfield are busy mulling over their alternative options. Barella could be front and centre in that regard.
As countless names continue to do the rounds, Barella is an interesting proposition for the Reds alongside the other fanciful targets; including Alexis Mac Allister, Mason Mount and Ryan Gravenberch. Liverpool might have their eyes on all three, while the Italian could yet touch down in the UK as a Champions League winner.
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Barella and his Inter Milan team-mates are one step away from European honours this season as they prepare to take on Manchester City in the Champions League showpiece on Saturday, June 10. But that meeting at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium - in Istanbul - could be just the start for a Barella-themed summer.
Due to ongoing financial concerns, Inter might still be forced to cash in on any prized-assets this summer and, at a proposed €80m, the 26-year-old Italy international fits into that bracket. As for Liverpool, meanwhile, that represents top quality at around half the cost of Bellingham, for example.
It will be a numbers game, financially, for the Reds when they finally get down to business and aim to spread out their budget. But what shirt number would Barella wear if he puts pen-to-paper on a move to Anfield?
As things stand, the numbers he wears - 23 for Inter and 18 for the Italian national team - are assigned to Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo respectively. However, it is not beyond the realms of possibility those two could switch things up before the 2023/2024 campaign after four high-profile departures were confirmed by the club.
When leaving this summer, James Milner (7), Naby Keita (8), Roberto Firmino (9) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (15) will vacate sought-after shirt numbers, while number 10 has been unassigned since Sadio Made left to sign for Bayern Munich last summer. Numbers 12, 16, 24, 25 and 30 are also up for grabs.
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