Inter Milan star Nicolo Barella is the latest midfielder to be linked with a summer switch to Liverpool.
The Reds are poised to take the next step in their midfield rebuild after completing the signing of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month. An absence of Champions League football did not deter the World Cup winner from making the move to Anfield.
Khephren Thuram of OGC Nice in France's Ligue 1 is near the top of Liverpool’s midfield shortlist, while the ECHO understands Celta Vigo's Gabri Veiga is also being assessed after an excellent campaign in La Liga that saw him score 11 times.
Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern Munich has been a long-time target, but much rests on the plans of new manager Thomas Tuchel, with the pair set to sit down later this summer. Manu Kone of Borussia Monchengladbach is another under consideration after an impressive showing in Germany last term.
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However, Barella has also emerged as an option following another impressive campaign at the San Siro. The Italy international scored nine goals across all competitions in 52 games as he won the Coppa Italia and his side reached the Champions League final.
But it appears that Barella had already made an impression on Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and his assistant Pepijn Lijnders before the start of last season. In his book, Intensity: Inside Liverpool FC, the Dutchman reveals how the midfielder caught the eye of him and his boss as they watched Inter in action against Salernitana ahead of a Champions League tie against the Italian giants.
He wrote: "On the Friday night we watched Inter against Salernitana in the hotel, and [Nicolo] Barella was superb.
"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.'"
Klopp also spoke with refreshing honesty about his admiration for Barella ahead of the first-leg of the tie at the San Siro. The midfielder missed both games as his side were beaten 2-1 on aggregate as he was forced to serve a two-match suspension.
The German said: "That Barella is not able to play is not bad for us! He is a really good player, a really good player. I like him a lot.
"He has all the things you want from a midfield player. He’s aggressive, he’s technically [good], he can run for ages and all these kinds of things. So he’s a top-class player. But – I’m not 100 percent sure – probably the replacement will be Arturo Vidal.
"So that’s experience at its best. He’s played everywhere at the top level and I think, in these games, Arturo is especially motivated, so I’m not so sure it’s such an advantage for us that he will play instead of Barella."
