Report states Liverpool interest in three midfielders as Inter Milan duo tempts Jurgen Klopp

Jason Soutar
Reported Liverpool target Nicolo Barella shouts during a match

Premier League club Liverpool are interested in signing Inter Milan duo Nicolo Barella and Alessandro Bastoni, according to reports in Italy.

The Reds are expected to sign at least two midfielders in the summer transfer window.

Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Jude Bellingham is their top target and is likely to cost at least £130million should he move on at the end of the season.

Despite Liverpool’s poor form this term, it is believed that Bellingham is still keen on a move to Anfield, but there is a lot of interest in him.

Chelsea, Man Utd, Man City and Real Madrid are also in the race to sign the England international, according to reports.

Liverpool are being linked with a lot of midfield players with it evident manager Jurgen Klopp desperately needs reinforcements in this position.

Bellingham gets a mention in nearly every single Reds transfer story, and this is the case once again here.

Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Inter midfielder Barella is on the Merseyside club’s transfer wishlist.

Interest in the Italian international comes ‘alongside’ Bellingham, Wolves’ Matheus Nunes and Brighton’s Moises Caicedo.

Liverpool want ‘two to three’ midfield additions and one central defender, with Inter’s Bastoni a target.

Klopp has ‘followed’ Barella ‘for some time’ and the club’s scout for Italy has been keeping a close eye on the player.

The Premier League side know that summer signings are extremely necessary and their 5-2 home defeat to Real Madrid this week ‘will only speed up the process of transforming the squad’.

Klopp ‘dreams above all’ about Bellingham, but is aware of the level of interest in the 19-year-old.

Nunes and Caicedo get another mention. The former will apparently only join should a ‘pre-agreement’ be reached, while Caicedo’s future is uncertain after Brighton rejected a huge bid from Arsenal in January.

It is said that Barella is ‘happy’ at Inter and is ‘convinced’ by the project at the San Siro, meaning he will not actively push for a move to Anfield.

‘He has no reason to leave’, but should a transfer become a possibility, the Nerazzurri will reportedly ask for €80million (£70.7m).

This figure can only be paid by an English club, Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid, the report adds.

Barella’s valuation comes after he helped Italy win Euro 2020 and Inter win the Serie A title in 2021.

The 26-year-old is under contract until 2026 and has provided 11 goal contributions in 22 league matches this season.

Defensive target, Bastoni, on the other hand, has been strongly linked with Tottenham in the past.

Liverpool centre-half Virgil van Dijk has been far from his best in recent months, though he has been playing next to Joel Matip or Joe Gomez more often than not.

Ibrahima Konate is a fantastic defender but seems to be very injury prone. He and Van Dijk have a very solid partnership, but it is very rare they line up together.

This has resulted in Klopp adding a new central defender to his summer shopping list.

Konate and Van Dijk have only played 24 matches together, losing three times. They have only lost once as a pair having both played the full 90 minutes (2022 Champions League final).

READ MORE: ‘Disjointed’ Liverpool’s problem is clear as the Mailbox struggles to make their mind up on Klopp