Premier League duo Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are reportedly interested in Cagliari’s Serie A midfielder Nico Barella in 2019.
Andrea Pirlo is better placed than many to pass judgement on a highly rated young midfielder who is turning heads in Serie A.
The former Milan, Juventus and Italy star is one of the greatest technical footballers of his generation. And Pirlo clearly believes that Nico Barella has the talent to follow in his footsteps.
The 21-year-old is a man in demand right now following a superb breakthrough season with Cagliari, for whom he scored six times in 34 Serie A appearances last season.
The Express claim that Tottenham Hotspur are keen on Barella, who is understood to be valued at around £31 million. But Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is confident that the box-to-box midfielder will be playing his football at Anfield in 2019.
And whoever wins the race would be getting a player that Pirlo rates very highly.
“He is one of the best players in Italy,” Pirlo said in quotes reported by The Mail after Barella impressed in Cagliari’s 1-1 draw with AC Milan last weekend.
“I really enjoyed him against Milan. He only needs to find the right place in the field.”
Barella’s versatility has seen him be used in a number of midfield roles for Cagliari but he seems more at home in a deeper role that makes the most of his energy and ability to drive forward from the centre of the park.
The Italian U21 international could be seen as Mousa Dembele’s long-term successor at Tottenham or perhaps an understudy to the 32-year-old James Milner at Liverpool.
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