Report: Liverpool could be set to submit luxurious bid for elite midfielder

Liverpool and Manchester City go head to head in the Premier League on Sunday but they appear to be battling it out in the transfer world as well.

A report from Il Secolo XIX in Italy, cited by Inter News 24, suggests that Liverpool are interested in elite midfielder, Nico Barella, but it's unclear if the Reds really are planning a bid.

Given that Jurgen Klopp is leaving and a successor has yet to be confirmed, it's unlikely Liverpool are advanced on any transfers and won't be until a new manager is appointed.

All the same, Il Secolo XIX claim that a "major Premier League club, which could potentially be Liverpool and Manchester, is ready to "submit a pharaonic offer" to Inter Milan for Barella.

If Liverpool are truly on the verge of submitting a luxurious bid (that's what Google suggests is meant by pharaonic), that would be quite something.

The much likelier conclusion is that it's City that are making a big money play to bring Barella to the Premier League.

The report goes on to say that Inter are "intensifying their efforts" to keep Barella and prevent him from making the switch to England.

A quick look at the Italian midfielder's Fbref charts reveals the numbers behind why Barella is so highly thought of around Europe.

Compared to every midfielder in Europe's top five leagues, Barella ranks in the 95th percentile for the number of progressive passes he makes per game.

Every 90 mins, the 27-year-old plays the ball 10 yards towards goal 8.46 times on average. His passing is simply sublime, with Sofascore recording his pass completion rate at 86%, averaging 1.1 key passes per game.

Despite his height (5 foot 7), Barella still wins 67% of his aerial battles which is hugely important in the Premier League.