Liverpool FC are looking to reach an agreement with Inter Milan for an £85m star. The star has often been linked to the Reds. And Liverpool are hoping to sign the player in order to further strengthen their midfield.
The Reds are upto building a really strong squad.
Klopp and the management are looking for a squad, not only for the present but also for the future. A squad that will keep on winning titles and making the Kops proud.
The Reds have already completed the signing of Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho, and Calvin Ramsay.
Now Liverpool are looking to further strengthen their already strong Midfield.
Liverpool hoping to sign £85m Inter Milan star Nicolo Barella.
It is obvious that the Reds wanted to increase their alternatives in the center of the field. They wanted it by adding another top talent after missing out on Aurelien Tchouameni. It has been reported that they are interested in paying £85 million to Inter Milan for Nicolo Barella. And it is clear where such rumours would have originated.
Jurgen Klopp praised the Midfielder ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League clash against Inter Milan:
“He is a really good player, a really good player. I like him a lot. He has all the things you want from a midfield player. He’s aggressive, he’s technically [good], he can run for ages and all these kinds of things.”
The 25-year-old has experienced his most artistic season to date. Assisting 12 goals as Inter nearly missed defending their Serie A championship (Stats via whoscored.com). Only seven players in Europe’s top five leagues have more assists in 2021–2022, with Mohamed Salah being one of them.
Although midfielders at Liverpool aren’t typically expected to set up goals. Its Barella’s record brings to light the Reds’ lack of strength in the center of the field. Last season, Klopp’s team had nine different midfielders start a league game. And throughout those starts, those nine individuals combined for 12 assists, matching the Italian’s total.
Stats show that he can press, carry the ball well, regularly cross and pass the ball into the penalty area. Although a move to Liverpool currently looks highly improbable, there’s no denying that he possesses the talent that would appeal to the club’s scouts and analysts.
Liverpool’s Midfield Options
However, the Reds don’t necessarily need to add another midfielder given the available options Klopp has. They may have chosen Tchouameni in part because he was available rather than because they had an immediate need to fill.
The necessity for midfield additions inevitably decreases as reports surface that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain plans to stay at Liverpool through the remainder of his contract. This has multiple benefits because, according to data, Barella is the player who most closely resembles the former Arsenal star.
Oxlade-Chamberlain, while not playing as frequently as he would like, has accumulated some really good figures over the past year, according to FBRef. In terms of metrics like pressure success rate in the final third, carrying the ball into the attacking third or opponent’s box, and passes into the penalty area, he ranks in the top 4% of midfielders in England, France, and Germany, Italy, and Spain.
To put it another way, Oxlade-Chamberlain is already Liverpool’s Barella. However, his performances in 2021/22 were occasionally lacklustre, which may be the reason he didn’t start a league or European game after mid-February.
It would be fascinating to watch how frequently he plays for the Reds in the upcoming season as the figures indicate he was still performing at a very high level. Barella is highly unlikely to.
