Could Liverpool complete "stealth signing" of £80M superstar?

Liverpool have assessed Nicolo Barella as a target this summer amid their midfield rebuild and in keeping with their lowkey approach to summer signings, the Italian could be a surprise acquisition.

Much like other massive football clubs, the Reds are constantly linked with new signings, However, unlike other teams, they operate without much of the media fuss.

Most of the online noise surrounding new signings is generated by excited fans. Dominik Szobozlai, for instance, joined just days after reports linked him with a move to Anfield.

With little concrete transfer news to go on since, it's time to dream about which superstar could join the club next. My personal pick would be Inter Milan baller Nicolo Barella.

Before Thiago moved to Anfield, he and Barella were my two favourite non-Liverpool players. While stylistically they are different players, their technical ability makes them so enjoyable to watch.

And ever since Liverpool lost the Champions League final in Kiev in 2018, Jurgen Klopp has shown a clear desire to improve his side's ball progression.

Signing Thiago was an obvious indication of this but even before that, using his fullbacks to dictate play allowed his side to progress the ball out wide where there is less congestion on the pitch.

Of course, if this is your only way to build play, it's going to be problematic. In possession, this was Liverpool's biggest issue last season.

With midfield personnel ravaged by injury and Andy Robertson battling for form, Trent Alexander-Arnold appeared to be the only player capable of playing a killer pass.

Now, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool are set for a season of free-flowing football. While it's too early to call, Klopp may be about to produce his most free-flowing Liverpool side since Philippe Coutinho left the club.

With the Brazilian often joining attack from midfield to form a front four of sorts, the likes of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were able to wreak havoc both domestically and in Europe.

That scintillating attack only played together for five months before Coutinho forced a move to Barcelona. Of course, his departure funded the most epic rebuild I've ever witnessed as a Liverpool fan.

Alisson, Fabinho and Virgil van Dijk were able to join a recently cash-flush Liverpool and the rest is history.

This summer, Barella could be the most exciting player that Klopp could add to his side. If Jordan Henderson and Fabinho leave, it may be the case that three more midfielders are needed.

The weekend just past saw Sky Sports journalist Melissa Reddy list some of the names that Liverpool have been considering in addition to Szoboszlai and Mac Allister.

Among them are Khephren Thuram, Florentino Luis, Joao Palhinha and Teun Koopmeiners. The most intriguing name also listed was Barella.

Now, there aren't any concrete links suggesting the Italian will join Liverpool this summer but I like to hope that this is because the club is working on, in Reddy's own words, a "stealth signing" to bring the 26-year-old to Anfield.

It's not entirely unrealistic given Reddy adds that Liverpool have already spoken to his agents.

There are a number of issues preventing the Merseyside outfit from completing a quiet deal behind the scenes. Chief among them, in my opinion, is Inter's fondness for drumming up price tags by leaking transfer approaches to the Italian press.

The Serie A outfit values Barella at a whopping £80M. I imagine if he were English he'd go for over £100M if Declan Rice's move to Arsenal is anything to go by.

He also currently earns £154,000 per week and any increase on that would immediately place him among Liverpool's highest earners - not that he wouldn't be worth it.