Newcastle United are looking to make Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella one of two marquee signings in the summer transfer window, according to reports.
This transfer would be a huge statement from Newcastle after the vast majority of Eddie Howe’s summer shortlist turned out to be players freshly relegated from the Premier League.
They have been linked with Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, Kyle Walker-Peters and James Ward-Prowse, Leeds United’s Brenden Aaronson, and Leicester City duo James Maddison and Harvey Barnes.
Barella is a player who has caught the eye of several clubs across Europe, including Manchester City and Liverpool.
A recent report from Sport Mediaset claimed City boss Pep Guardiola is looking to bring the Italian international to the Etihad this summer.
Interest from these two clubs tells you all you need to know about Barella, who was vital in Inter’s route to the 2023 Champions League final.
Barella also played a huge part in his side’s Serie A success in 2020/21.
After reaching the final of the Champions League, losing 1-0 to Manchester City, the 26-year-old could be on the move, but not to the Cityzens or Liverpool.
According to reliable Telegraph journalists Luke Edwards and Mike McGrath, Newcastle are ‘closing in’ on the sensational signing of Barella.
The report says the deal could be worth a fee in the region of £50million, which is an absolute bargain, especially considering the player has three years left on his contract.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will apparently spend the majority of his budget on ‘two midfield players’ with the aforementioned James Maddison ‘the other main target’.
Barella would help scratch an itch for Howe as he has been looking to sign a new deep-lying midfielder in order to push star man Bruno Guimaraes further up the pitch, with his prospective addition to be a ‘stunning upgrade’ on midfielder Jonjo Shelvey.
The signing of the Italy midfielder is believed to be ‘reachable’ after ‘intensive talks’ took place this week.
Should Barella join, the Magpies will have to be more shrewd elsewhere, the Telegraph report adds.
Maddison remains a priority for Howe, though Leicester want a whopping £60m despite their relegation and the player’s contract situation, with his current deal expiring next year.
