Liverpool-linked midfielder Nicolo Barella could reportedly be allowed to leave Inter Milan for as little as €50m (£44.2m) in the upcoming transfer window.
The Italy international has established a reputation as one of Europe's leading midfielders since bursting onto the scene with the Nerazzurri, winning the 2020-21 Serie A title under Antonio Conte.
Barella has remained a mainstay of the team under Simone Inzaghi and has enjoyed another fruitful season at San Siro, scoring six goals and setting up eight more in 38 matches across all tournaments.
However, Inter's Serie A form has since taken a nosedive with three losses and a draw from their last four matches, and the 26-year-old has been singled out for criticism.
Barella has only completed the full 90 minutes in one of those games, and he was withdrawn after just 66 minutes of their 1-1 draw with Salernitana on Friday evening.
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The midfielder is still contracted to Inzaghi's side for another three years, but Liverpool have been strongly linked with a summer move as part of their imminent midfield overhaul.
The Reds have apparently been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Barella, as Inter are willing to consider bids of £44.2m for the Italian, according to Calciomercato.
The report claims that Barella is failing to live up to expectations at San Siro, and he has also come under fire for a number of disagreements with his teammates on the field.
Inter are not blessed with endless funds, but the Nerazzurri will need to sign a replacement for Paris Saint-Germain-bound defender Milan Skriniar, and the cash garnered from Barella's sale could help Inzaghi's side to do just that.
Liverpool will not be alone in the race for the Italy international, though, as all of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United are said to be keeping a close eye on developments.
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Barella came through the youth system at Cagliari before joining Inter on an initial loan deal in 2019, and his move to San Siro was made permanent the following year.
The 26-year-old has registered 17 goals and 42 assists in 173 appearances for the Nerazzurri across the past four seasons, and he started six games for Italy during their triumphant Euro 2020 campaign.
Liverpool are expected to let Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita leave at the end of their contracts this summer, while Arthur's loan deal from Juventus will not be made permanent either.
James Milner is another lynchpin who is out of contract in June, but Jurgen Klopp is supposedly pushing for the Liverpool board to hand the 37-year-old a new one-year deal.
Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham remains the Reds' top target, but a £100m+ deal is expected to prove impractical for the Merseyside club, especially if they fail to qualify for next season's Champions League.
Ben Knapton
