REPORT: LIVERPOOL WILLING TO INCLUDE 27-YEAR-OLD IN DEAL TO SIGN £77.5M-RATED STAR
Italian site CMW claim that Liverpool are willing to include Naby Keita in a player-plus-cash deal to sign Inter Milan midfielder Nico Barella. Inter are said to rate the Italian in the region of £77.5million.
Barella, 25, has become one of the first names on Inter’s team sheet in recent seasons. A player that initially joined the Nerrazzuri on loan from Cagliari in the summer of 2019 – before a move became permanent in 2020.
He has gone on to play 135 times in just three seasons. Rarely injured and always making himself available, Barella might just have a bit of what Liverpool are lacking in the middle of the park ahead of 22-23.
Goals and assists are hardly the Liverpool midfield’s strong point. But last season, Barella had a hand in 17 goals – scoring four, creating 13. He has 11 goals and 34 assists in his three seasons at Inter.
A strong total – and it is no surprise to see Liverpool interested. Even ahead of last season’s Champions League tie, Jurgen Klopp said he was “really happy” to see Barella was unavailable for the two legs due to suspension.
Keita, meanwhile, has failed to hit the heights expected of him when joining Liverpool in 2018. Just 11 goals and seven assists in 116 games – 19 less than Barella has clocked up, despite Barella being at Inter a season less.
Keita’s contract ends next summer and Liverpool – if they are not going to offer him a new deal – need to sell him this summer, in order to bring in some cash. Or, use him to pull down Barella’s £77.5million price tag. It makes sense.
