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Milan have made a last-ditch attempt to beat arch-rivals Inter in the race for the signature of Cagliari midfielder Nicolò Barella.

I Nerazzurri have been strong favourites to sign the 22-year-old this summer, but they now face competition to sign him from Milan.

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According to Italian publications Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport (as relayed by CalcioMercatoInter insist that they are still in pole position to sign Barella, having reportedly already agreed personal terms with his agent.

Milan have now made a last-ditch attempt to sign Barella and are said to be ready to offer Cagliari a fee plus striker Patrick Cutrone in order to make the deal happen. 

Signing Barella would represent a coup for the Rossoneri, as his proposed move to Inter looked a foregone conclusion only a few days ago.

The Cagliari midfielder (who is currently on international duty with Italy) has had an outstanding season, attracting the attention of many of Europe's elite clubs with his excellent performances.

He was a constant in the Sardinian side, starting 35 of 38 league games, helping them avoid relegation from Serie A.

The 22-year-old has stood out for his passing, vision and ability to the win the ball back and has also shown that he is an excellent set-piece taker.

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His strong club displays didn't go unnoticed by Italy manager Roberto Mancini, who gave Barella his first senior cap for the Azzurri in a friendly against Ukraine in October 2018.

He has since become a mainstay in the side, starting five of Italy's last six fixtures and in March he scored his first goal for his country in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Finland.