Nicolo Barella remains hot property as Liverpool watch on this summer and the in-demand Inter Milan player has already delivered a perfect hat-trick when it comes to his first impression at Anfield.
Having started their recruitment drive by signing Alexis Mac Allister for an undisclosed fee, the Reds will continue their push for further additions in the engine room. Barella, 26, has been strongly linked with a high-profile move to the Premier League, meanwhile, but will Liverpool win the race for his signature?
Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle United are thought to be lurking. Inter are understood to be open to cashing-in on the 44-cap Italy international, too, with £77m mooted as a possible transfer fee.
A high price to pay for Liverpool, then, if they are to get their man. However, amid reports from Italian publication, Gazzetta dello Sport, indicating they are back in pole position for Barella, the box-to-box midfielder has already had a seal of approval from Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher - not to mention Jurgen Klopp.
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Steven Gerrard
Chatting briefly about Barella last season, former Liverpool captain Gerrard said: "I watched him against England in Naples and he was involved in all parts of the game. He did really well against the England midfield; Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice. He's at a good age, as well, coming into his prime."
Jamie Carragher
While on punditry duty for CBS Golazo, Carragher added: "I think he's probably one of the best in Europe playing in that tucked in, right-sided central midfield position. He's box-to-box and gets goals from there.
"We saw how outstanding he was for his national team in winning the European Championships. He's a player who can open things up, he gets in there, but that inside right position now is so important in football and can you make runs from that position? He makes runs ahead of the striker and he's a huge goal threat.
"Any top team needs to have goals from midfield. It'll be really interesting if he actually stays at Inter, but you think one day would he go the Premier League - or maybe one of the Spanish giants - because I certainly think he has the ability to do so."
Jurgen Klopp
Barella is no stranger to Klopp, either, and the Liverpool manager waxed lyrical when he was pressed on the Inter midfielder when he was unable to play against his team last season. On that occasion, Klopp said: "[The news] That Barella is not able to play is not bad for us.
"He's a really good player. He's a really good player and I like him a lot."
Klopp continued: "He has all the things you want from a midfield player; he's aggressive, he's technical, he can run for ages and all these kinds of things. He's a top-class player."
