With Mohamed Salah agreeing to a new contract and Virgil van Dijk expected to be next in line, Liverpool have started focussing on business for the summer transfer window. The Reds have been keen on adding a midfielder to their roster for much of the season and have identified a talented young player with the possibility of signing him on a swap deal also on the cards.
Caught Offside has claimed that Liverpool are keen on Inter Milan star Nicolo Barella, who has been slapped with a price tag of £86 million by the Nerazzurri. Arne Slot’s employers are looking to sweeten a potential deal by sending Darwin Nunez or Federico Chiesa to the Serie A club as part of the deal, with the source adding that they are ‘serious’ about landing Barella.
A swap deal could do the trick
Nicolo Barella is one of the world’s best and most technical central midfielders, who is able to create chances by dribbling through tight spaces and has an incredible work rate too. The 28-year-old also regularly contributes to winning the ball back and is the right candidate for the box-to-box midfielder’s profile that Liverpool are looking for ahead of next season.
Having won everything possible in Italy with Inter Milan, he could be open to a new challenge. Given his age, he is also worth his side’s asking price although a swap deal would work best for Liverpool. Neither Darwin Nunez nor Federico Chiesa have lived up to the billing and Internazionale could see good value in both players, particularly the latter, who has been a success in Serie A.
If indeed a swap deal is on the cards, it remains to be seen how much both of Liverpool’s players are valued. Regardless, the Premier League leaders will have to pay some money in addition to sending one of their underperforming stars to the San Siro.
