da casino： The Reds are reeling after giving up on their primary transfer target, but the Italy international is a potentially transformative talent himself

da betobet： Back in the summer of 2018, when the was calling Nicolo Barella 'The Sardinian Steven Gerrard', Liverpool were linked with a move for the Cagliari academy product. There was even giddy talk of the Reds enlisting the help of their most famous stakeholder, LeBron James, to persuade Barella to move to Merseyside, given the Italian's love of the basketball icon.

In reality, Liverpool were quite content with their midfield options at the time, with Fabinho and Naby Keita having only just arrived at Anfield.

It might be worth giving LeBron a call now, though.

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Liverpool's engine room is in dire need of an overhaul, as underlined by the fact that they've had to abandon their pursuit of primary transfer target Judge Bellingham because they simply cannot afford to commit so much money to one player when so many reinforcements are required.

Barella certainly wouldn't come cheap himself, but there's no denying that his arrival would certainly soften the Bellingham blow. The Italy international is a potentially transformative force in his own right.

Getty'Every attack starts with Barella, it's scary'

Jurgen Klopp and his colleagues are certainly well aware of Barella's qualities. On the Friday before Liverpool faced Inter in a Champions League clash at San Siro last year, the coaching team sat down to watch the Nerazzurri in Serie A action against Salernitana.

Barella was running the show and, at one point, assistant manager Pep Lijnders burst out laughing, overjoyed by the fact that the midfielder was suspended for their last-16 tie.

"We were in the middle of a discussion but I was watching the game with one eye and saw Barella play another incredible pass," the Dutchman wrote in his book 'Intensity: Inside Liverpool FC'.

"'I'm just so happy that he doesn't feature against us,' I said. 'Every attack starts with him, it's scary.'"

Just three days later, Klopp was singing from the same hymn sheet in his pre-match press conference.

"That Barella is not able to play is good for us," the German admitted to reporters. "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."

Which is exactly what Liverpool need this summer.

Advertisement(C)Getty Images'The complete player'

Barella's talent has been obvious since he first broke into the Cagliari senior side. Here was an all-action all-rounder, a fiery and seemingly indefatigable figure just as adept at starting attacks as breaking them up.

Coaching legend Fabio Capello compared him to the great Marco Tardelli and correctly predicted that he would quickly become an integral part of the Italy team.

"Barella's the player who can change the tempo in midfield," the former AC Milan and Real Madrid boss told . "He gives something more in terms of quality and quantity, which we lacked before."

He wasn't wrong. Barella is probably the first name on Roberto Mancini's team sheet, and has been for some time.

Indeed, since the coach's appointment in 2018, no player has made more appearances (43) or scored more goals (eight) for Italy than Barella, whom Mancini has described as "the complete player".

There were certainly few better box-to-box midfielders on show in 2021 – a year in which Barella won both the Serie A title and the European Championship.

Getty'I like the way the English approach the game'

There is no denying that he hasn't quite been at his best this season, though. Barella hasn't underperformed as badly as some of his Inter team-mates, but he does perhaps personify the inconsistency that has plagued Simone Inzaghi's side.

He's certainly not proven as effective as he was under previous coach Antonio Conte, whom Barella credits with not only improving him on a technical and tactical level, but also from a psychological perspective.

This is a player that relished playing at "100 kilometres an hour" and has always appeared perfectly suited to Klopp's high-octane brand of football.

Barella himself has never hidden the fact that he would enjoy the intensity of English football. "If I had to choose between Serie A and the Premier League, I’d go for the Premier League, because I like the way the English approach the game," he told the .

"Plus everyone there is just as irritable and prone to fouls as me!"

Getty'Inter's soul'

He would certainly bring a mix of aggression and dynamism that has been conspicuous by its absence in the Liverpool midfield this season.

At his best, as he was against Benfica in the first leg of Inter's Champions League quarter-final, he is almost impossible to contain.

As the wrote, "In Lisbon, we saw the best version of Barella again, and not only for the goal that opened the door to Inter’s victory. He was the classic Barella, meaning he was everywhere!"

The , meanwhile, called him "Inter's soul", which is precisely why they would be so unwilling to sell him this summer.

Barella is considered the obvious choice to succeed Samir Handanovic as club captain, and his commitment to the cause is obvious every single time he sets foot on the field. He has such a will to win that he has even clashed with one of his own team-mates, Romelu Lukaku, this season.

"He is so motivated," Inzaghi told reporters after the 0-0 draw with Sampdoria in February. "The desire can at times spill over, but we all know what kind of person he is."

The kind of character that Klopp would love, essentially.