Liverpool’s rumoured bid for Nicolo Barella has been put to bed by Get Italian Football News editor Kaustubh Pandey while speaking to the Blood Red Podcast but if if it was real, Michael Edwards must act with haste.
In mid-July, Liverpool allegedly made a bid to sign Barella from Inter Milan according to La Repubblica, via FC Inter News, worth in the region of €70million (£60m.)
At the time, the Serie A club’s stance was that aside from Achraf Hakimi, they would not sell any of their other big names.
MILAN, ITALY – MAY 08: Achraf Hakimi of Internazionale during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and UC Sampdoria at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 08, 2021 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)
But Chelsea’s recent attempts to sign Romelu Lukaku have proven once again that football clubs cannot turn certain bids down – Phillipe Coutinho to Barcelona is evidence of this.
Every player has his price.
That said, according to Kaustubh Pandey, the bid cited by La Repubblica was fabricated.
He told the Echo’s podcast: “[The reports], I think, have been planted by Barella’s agent.
“Not just for Barella, but for Alessandro Bastoni as well, there was a period a few months ago where he was being linked with Liverpool and other clubs.
MUNICH, GERMANY – JULY 01: Nicolo Barella of Italy runs in the field during an Italy training session ahead of the Euro 2020 Quarter Final match between Italy and Belgium at Fussball Arena Muenchen on July 1, 2021 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Marcio Machado/Getty Images)
“But they have signed new contracts – maybe not announced yet, but everything has been agreed.
“It seems, with Barella, that his agent has been using the interest from Premier League clubs to make sure that Inter meet the requirements for a new contract.
“Barella has been linked with Liverpool and Manchester United, but that is a bit silly, because he is probably going to sign a new deal.
“Unless something unusual happens, people are expecting Barella to stay there in the long-term.”
MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 17: Nicolo Barella of Internazionale scores their side’s second goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Juventus at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on January 17, 2021 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
If the Reds did actually make a bid worth €70m (£60m), it’s more than likely the Serie A outfit would consider it given their financial standing.
With around three and a half weeks remaining of the transfer window, it’s going to get very interesting very soon.
Realistically, Liverpool can go into the season with their squad as is but they’re taking a massive risk given how injury-prone a number of their players are and remembering what happened last season.
If the Reds still hold interest in the Italian as Anfield Central was told in late May, then they need to act swiftly.
