Reported Arsenal and Liverpool target Nicolo Barella is one of the ‘top three midfielders in Europe’ and worth £90 million in today’s market, Inter Milan legend Nicola Berti told Gazzetta dello Sport.
The compliments just keep on rolling in.
While Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez are the glamorous poster-boys of Antonio Conte’s squad, Barella is the driving force behind Inter’s Scudetto charge.
Three weeks after his barnstorming display in the statement 2-0 win against Juventus, the all-action Italy international was at his dazzling best in Florence, scoring a brilliant long-range goal as Inter kept the pace at the top of the table during a hard-fought victory over Fiorentina.
After the game, former Nerazzuri star Ciccio Graziani joined ex-Nerazzuri president Massimo Moratti in comparing Barella to Manchester United legend Paul Scholes.
Berti, meanwhile, feels that no midfielder in Serie A comes close to the 24-year-old on current form.
“He is one of the top three midfielders in Europe and he is worth £90 million,” Berti claimed of a man who has also been hailed to the hilt by Fabio Capello and Claudio Marchisio recently.
“Surely, he is the best midfielder in Italy. There are more foreign players in Serie A, but if he is the best midfielder in Italy, then he must be one of the best in Europe and for me he is among the top three.
“He is irreplaceable for Inter, he is one of those players who always give something more.
“I like to see how he plays and I believe he still has room for improvement. He scored a great goal against Juventus in Serie A. These kind of goals make fans go crazy.
“He is a complete midfielder, he runs, scores and delivers assists. Inter always score when he puts a cross in. Believe me, it’s not because of good luck. He is a champion, and he always knows what to do.”
It is no surprise, then, that Inter want to tie Barella down to a new, long-term contract amid interest from Arsenal and a Liverpool side who, on recent evidence, would benefit immensely from his drive and energy in the middle of the park (FCInterNews).
Calciomercato claims that Tottenham are also keen.
Could Barella follow in Berti’s footsteps by swapping the San Siro for a spell in North London? Not if Inter follow Berti’s advice and slap a £90 million price-tag on their midfield superstar.
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