Liverpool and Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Inter Milan enforcer Nicolo Barella.
Scoring once and assisting once so far this season, the 27-year-old has featured on four occasions for the current Italian champions in Serie A, with the Nerazzurri sitting second in the league table.
Barella has not featured for Italy so far in the 2024-25 calendar but was a mainstay in their team at Euro 2024 in Germany over the summer.
Luciano Spalletti's troops failed to impress on the continental stage, sneaking through the group stage before a sobering round-of-16 exit at the hands of Switzerland in Berlin.
Since making an initial loan switch from Cagliari in July 2019, Barella has featured on 240 occasions for Inter Milan, making the net ripple 23 times.
Liverpool, Man City eyeing Barella deal?
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Premier League powerhouses Liverpool and Manchester City are keen on securing the services of Barella.
The report claims that La Liga duo Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are also interested in the 27-year-old, who has never played domestic club football outside the top two divisions of Italy.
With Barella signing a new terms at Inter Milan in January, the midfielder is contracted to the club until the summer of 2029.
As a result, the Nerazzurri are in a good position to drive a hard bargain for the 57-time international, who they supposedly value at €90m (£74.8m).
It remains to be seen whether Man City or Liverpool - let alone the two clubs from Madrid - are willing to fork out such a fee for Barella next year.
Man City, Liverpool midfield requirements
Man City are known to be in the market for reinforcements in the heart of their midfield following a major injury blow at the end of September.
Spanish lynchpin Rodri suffered a cruciate ligament injury during the match with Arsenal on September 22, ruling him out for the remainder of the campaign.
It has been reported that Pep Guardiola's side are weighing up a January move for Liverpool target and Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi.
The Euro 2024 winner rejected the advances of Arne Slot's Reds in the summer, allowing Ryan Gravenberch to blossom in a deep-lying midfield role so far this season. body check tags ::
