Exclusive: Chelsea, Liverpool & Newcastle have transfer interest in star with £77m asking price
Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United all saw approaches for Nicolo Barella rejected by Inter Milan this summer, but he could be on the market for around £77million next year, CaughtOffside understands.
Barella has a contract with Inter until 2026, so the club are under little pressure to sell the Italy international, but it seems they would be prepared to do business if they receive a big fee for their star player.
Sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle all registered an interest in Barella this summer, only to be told in no uncertain terms that he was considered untouchable for the time being.
It may be, however, that this was on the understanding that Inter would be more willing to negotiate for Barella in a year’s time, and it seems there is some expectation that the Premier League is likely to be his next destination.
Of course, that will depend on whether the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle are willing to meet Inter’s demands for the 26-year-old, with all three clubs ending up making other significant investments in midfield this summer.
Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia made big moves to CFC, while Jurgen Klopp brought in as many as four new midfield names in the form of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo.
Newcastle, meanwhile, made another splash for a big name in Serie A by bringing in Sandro Tonali from AC Milan, so it remains to be seen if any of these clubs will be willing to spend big on another signing in that area of the pitch next summer.
Lazar Samardzic was a target for Inter to replace Barella, and though a deal couldn’t be done this summer, CaughtOffside understands the Nerazzuri are likely to try again to sign the Udinese player this January.
Overall, it seems Inter’s expectation is that next summer could be a good time to cash in on Barella, and Real Madrid could be another name to watch if a move to England doesn’t materialise.
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