Manchester United had ‘strong interest’ in signing Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella this summer, according to Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb (h/t Manchester Evening News).
The Red Devils were looking to reinforce their engine room in the previous transfer window and the report says Erik ten Hag’s side were desperate to land Barella.
However, Inter were reluctant to sell and Man Utd ended up completing deals to sign Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat instead.
Mount signed for United from Premier League rivals Chelsea. However, the England international has had a tough start to life at Old Trafford. On the other hand, Amrabat was acquired from Fiorentina on deadline day but is yet to play for the club as he returns to full fitness.
Barella is one of the best midfielders in Italy at the moment. Inter signed the 26-year-old from Cagliari in the summer of 2019. Since then, he has been ever-present in the Nerazzurri’s starting lineup.
In the current campaign, Barella has once again been pivotal to Simone Inzaghi’s plans, starting in every fixture so far. However, as per a report from CaughtOffside via Liverpool Echo, the Serie A outfit would be willing to sell for £77m to help ease their financial woes, and this could alert Man Utd.
Will United make a move for Barella?
United bolstered their midfield with the addition of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen last summer. They ended up becoming critical to Erik ten Hag’s plans and success in his first season at the Red Devils.
The Dutch manager won the Carabao Cup in his first year in Manchester. They also reached the FA Cup final and finished third in the Premier League.
However, things have not gone to plan in the current campaign. Man United have won only two of their first five fixtures in the English top flight this season. Midfield has been identified as a weak point for the Manchester giants.
Therefore, United could do with more quality in the middle of the park and Barella would be a superb addition to the squad if they could lure him to Old Trafford in future.
