Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle alerted to incredible transfer chance for Serie A’s best midfielder

Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle have all been named as potential landing spots for the best midfielder in Serie A, and the prospects of a blockbuster January transfer will rise if a new contract goes unsigned, per a report.

All three English heavyweights invested heavily in midfield recruits last summer. Liverpool signed Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch for roughly £126m combined. But for Chelsea, that outlay would’ve been far higher.

Indeed, the Reds and Blues were both in for Moises Caicedo who ultimately joined Chelsea for a British record £115m. Chelsea also snatched Romeo Lavia (£58m) from Liverpool’s grasp.

Newcastle, meanwhile, made Sandro Tonali their second most expensive signing ever when plucking the Italy international from AC Milan. Only Alexander Isak (€70m) cost more than Tonali to sign (€64m).

However, according to a report in Spain, the Premier League trio could all converge on a midfielder named Serie A’s best last season.

It’s revealed Inter ace, Nicolo Barella, is proving of great interest to all three sides. What’s more, rumblings over Barella’s potential new contract at Inter have put the English sides on red alert.

Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle ready to pounce

It’s claimed Barella and his camp are currently in discussions with Inter regarding a new and improved contract.

The 26-year-old’s current deal does not expire until 2026. However, to better reflect his superstardom in Italy, a new deal running to 2028 is under deliberation.

Barella lifted the Serie A best midfielder award in both the 2020/21 and 2022/23 campaigns. His energetic and impactful displays at both ends of the pitch have helped Simone Inzaghi’s side open up a four-point gap to Juventus atop the Serie A table at present.

Barella was on Liverpool and Newcastle’s radar last summer, though Inter flatly refused to entertain any offers.

But per the update, they – along with Chelsea – are now closely monitoring how Barella’s contract talks with Inter fare.

It’s suggested any of the three could launch an ambitious January move if given indication Barella is unhappy with what’s being offered by Inter.

What’s more, it’s also suggested that the Premier League sides would all be capable of offering a higher salary than what Inter can anyway.

January move looks unlikely; summer move more viable

In reality, a winter window exit given Barella still has two-and-a-half years remaining on his existing deal is unlikely.

Aiding the difficulty in pulling off the blockbuster coup is the fact Barella is valued in the £70m-£80m range. Furthermore, Inter would be loathe to sell while leading the way in a title race.

But should contract talks stall, a move at the end of the season could be viable. Barella would have two years left on his deal at that time and will turn 27 in February.

If Inter can’t convince Barella to pen fresh terms, their best chance of extracting maximum value would be a summer sale in 2024.

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