Nicolo Barella: Newcastle United’s ‘top class’ £50m ‘target’ that Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp loves

Nicolo Barella starred for Inter Milan this season, helping them reach the final of the Champions League for the first time in 14 years. The 43-cap Italian international was one of the stars of Simone Inzaghi’s side last season and has recently been linked with a sensational move to Newcastle United.

According to the Telegraph, the Magpies are interested in signing Barella this summer as they look to bolster their ranks ahead of their return to the Champions League. Here, we take a look at everything supporters need to know about Barella and why one Premier League manager is a big fan of the midfielder:

Who is Nicolo Barella?

Barella currently plays for Inter Milan in Serie A having joined them from Cagliari in the 2019 summer transfer window. He’s a regular Italian international and plays in the centre of midfield. 

Reports suggest that Barella would operate as a No.6 at Newcastle, however, he has predominantly featured as a No.8 or an attacking No.10 during his time with the Nerazzurri. Nine goals and ten assists last term show that Barella can be a force in and around the opposition’s penalty area and is more than capable of playing further forward if required.

He is currently valued at €75m by Transfermarkt and Newcastle have been linked with a £50m move for him. It’s likely that any fee for the 26-year-old would be pushing the Magpies’ current club-record fee of £63m that they paid to land Alexander Isak last summer.

Jurgen Klopp’s praise for ‘top class’ Barella

Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 game with Inter Milan last season, Klopp was full of praise for Barella. The Italian missed the game through suspension and when asked about his absence, Klopp revealed that it was a good thing for his side that the Italian was not lining up against them.

Klopp said: "That Barella is not able to play is not bad for us. He's a really good player, a really good player and I like him a lot. 

“He has all the things you want from a midfield player: he is aggressive, he is technical, he can run for ages and all these kinds of things. That's a top-class player.”