In a recent report, Inter Live claimed that Liverpool are open to giving up Naby Keita for Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella. It is believed that the Reds are willing to send Keita in the other direction if they can lower Inter’s €90m price tag for Barella.
Barella’s Impressive Campaign In Italian Football
The Italy international enjoyed a brilliant campaign in Italy as he produced a series of productive displays at the heart of Inter’s midfield. Barella registered four goals and 13 assists in 48 matches for the Italian giants last season across all fronts.
The 25-year-old proved himself to be a valuable presence at the centre of the park after he averaged 1.8 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 1.9 shots, 1.8 key passes and 1.0 dribbles per game in Serie A. He was even tidy when distributing the ball from midfield, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 85.1% in league football (stats via whoscored).
Liverpool Open To Giving Up Keita For Barella: Good Move For Jurgen Klopp?
Barella had an excellent season at San Siro as he proved his worth as a great playmaker in the opposition half. He has got the vision to set up a few inviting chances for his teammates and can even chip in by scoring the odd goal.
Furthermore, the 39-time Italy international is a solid tackler of the ball and doesn’t give away possession cheaply at the centre of the park. He is primarily a box-to-box midfielder but can play as a holding midfielder or in the number ten position if needed.
Barella will no doubt add more creativity and dynamism to Jurgen Klopp‘s midfield and could serve as an ideal replacement for Naby Keita, who has struggled to find consistency and has endured a lot of injury problems during his career at Liverpool.
At 25, Barella’s best years are ahead of him which makes him a decent option for the Reds to pursue this summer. The Italian sensation has what it takes to help Klopp’s side challenge for even more top honours in the coming seasons. With all things considered, recruiting the Inter Milan star will be a brilliant move for the Merseyside outfit in this off-season even if they have to give up Keita in the process.
