Report: Liverpool Interested in Cagliari Midfielder Nicolo Barella
Liverpool target Nicolo Barella will not be allowed to leave Cagliari for less than £45m, according to reports in Italy.
21-year-old Barella has been impressive for the Rossoblu this season and has drawn admiring gazes from Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, as well as Cagliari's Serie A rivals Juventus.
Italian outlet CalcioMercato reports that Cagliari will demand a huge fee for their hottest young property, hoping that it will deter interested parties.
A central midfielder by trade, Barella came through the ranks at Cagliari and made his Serie A debut against Parma in 2015. He has made 63 appearances for the Sardinian club, scoring three goals.
He has also represented Italy at every age group from under 15 to under 21, and has been backed for a call-up to the senior team in the near future.
For Liverpool, Barella would be an ideal replacement for Emre Can, who seems likely to leave Anfield when his contract expires in the summer. Can's most likely destination is Juventus, which would also remove Liverpool's main rivals for Barella's signature.
After making his Cagliari debut, Barella played a handful of games for the club during their Serie B promotion campaign in 2015/16. He spent the second half of that season on loan at fellow Serie B outfit Como, who were relegated at the end of the season.
He subsequently returned to the Sardegna Arena and scored his first Cagliari goal against SPAL last September.
