After Jude Bellingham comparing Steve Gerard talk up Liverpool Nicolo Barella transfer move

Nicolo Barella was the engine behind Inter’s rampant 2-0 victory over rivals AC Milan in the Champions League semi-final first leg, while Liverpool’s transfer goal came in handy after Steven Gerrard praised

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Steven Gerrard has lent his support to Liverpool in their hunt for Inter Milan star Nicolo Barella by praising his performance against Jude Bellingham.

Barella, 26, returned to action on Wednesday as he helped Inter dominate arch-rivals AC Milan in the Champions League semi-final, his side winning the one-way first leg 2-0. Former Premier League stars Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan each scored in the first 11 minutes for Inter to give Simone Inzaghi’s men a decisive lead in the second leg.

In midfield, Barella was the engine and he produced another impressive performance worthy of his reported price tag of €70m (£62m). Liverpool have long been linked with the Italy international and since the Reds dropped their pursuit of Bellingham, the focus has been on finding an alternative midfielder to kick off Jurgen Klopp’s rebuild.

Before the match, Liverpool legend Gerrard praised Barella for pouring praise towards him, referring to a clash between the 26-year-old Dynamo and Bellingham during Euro 2024 qualifying in March. “He’s creative, he can score important goals,” the former Reds captain told BT Sport.

“I saw him against England in Naples and he was involved in all parts of the game. He did really well against England midfield – Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice. He’s also of a good age and is entering his prime. years”.

Bellingham’s England had the upper hand that night, winning 2-1 away from home, with Barella making way just after the hour mark. Gerrard wasn’t the only pundit to praise the Italian midfielder, as his former team-mate Peter Crouch endorsed wholeheartedly after seeing Barella score in every game of Inter’s quarter-final victory against Portuguese giants Benfica, who enjoyed a delightful clash with Cross-City. opponents Milan scored it in the semi-finals.

“He was crucial in the Benfica games,” the former Liverpool striker affirmed. “He’s got great feet, tenacious as well and decent in the tackle. The first game he was the difference. There’s many, many admirers, Liverpool being one at the moment.”

If reports are to be believed, Crouch is correct. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter might be forced to sell Barella in the summer transfer window if they fail to finish in the top four of Serie A or win the Champions League, either of which would secure them qualification to Europe’s premier competition next season.

They add that the Reds’ interest in the Inter linchpin has grown since Klopp and co admitted defeat on Bellingham, but Paris Saint-Germain are also interested. Marco Verratti, Barella’s team-mate at international level, is considering his future with the French giants which could open up a midfield vacancy.

Also.. 

Liverpool recently informed Real Madrid that they are ready to sign Aurelien Tchouameni if ​​he becomes available this summer.

According to a report by 90min, Liverpool recently approached Real Madrid over Aurelien Tchouameni. The Reds have rekindled their interest in the French international.

And they have told the Blancos that they are ready to sign the young midfielder if he becomes available in the summer transfer window.

Aurelien Tchouameni rose to prominence after graduating from the Girondins Bordeaux academy.

But his existence rose in his 30-month stay with AS Monaco when he was one of the best midfielder in Ligue 1 and accompanied him to Los Blancos to Los Blancos after Liverpool and Real Madrid last summer.

The French international has suffered a hit-and-miss season so far. And while the youngster immediately established himself as a midfielder of the first election, he has been a backup option in the past few weeks. But he made 44 appearances in this term and broke into four templates. But Tchouameni’s recent situation has captured the attention of Liverpool.

As iterated earlier, Liverpool showed interest in the Frenchman last summer before Real Madrid signed him. Los Blancos paid a base fee of €80 million to secure Tchouameni’s services, with add-ons possibly taking the entire cost to €100 million. And Real Madrid will look to recoup the €100 million if they sell him anytime soon.

Liverpool will enter the market this summer desperate to sign multiple midfielders. They will see James Milner, Naby Keita, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain depart from Anfield as free agents. In addition, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho are not the domineering midfielders they were once. Meanwhile, Thiago Alcantara has endured fitness issues for much of the campaign.

So it behoves Liverpool to scour the market for a midfield reinforcement. And Tchouameni has emerged as a viable target for the Merseyside club. The Reds have now reached out to Real Madrid about the 23-year-old midfielder, informing Los Blancos that they can sign him if he becomes available this summer.

Liverpool have decided not to sign Jude Bellingham in order to be able to sign other midfielders like Tchouameni. However, it’s unclear if Real Madrid will be ready to monetize the France international after just one year. A summer move seems unlikely, but if the unlikely happens, expect a transfer fee in excess of €100m.