Cagliari central midfielder Nicolo Barella is most likely to be the next Liverpool signing, according to Football Whispers.
The football site claim the Italy Under-21 international could be headed to Anfield after an excellent 2017-18 Serie A campaign in which he was a regular goalscorer.
Football Whispers, which gathers all transfer rumours across the globe and calculates the likelihood of them happening, rates it 3.6 out of 5 that Barella will join Liverpool, with five the highest possible ranking and meaning it is a certainty.
He heads the rankings ahead of Roma goalkeeper Alisson (3.3) and Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha (3.0).
OPINION
Barella certainly doesn’t have the public profile of a Serie A-based player strongly linked to Liverpool in recent weeks – Roma goalkeeper Alisson – but he is a rising star of Italian football who has the ability to be a major star in the coming years. Predominantly a central midfielder who can also play in attacking midfield positions, Barella has established himself in the Cagliari side after breaking through the ranks. He scored an impressive six goals from 34 Serie A appearances last season and is destined for full Italy honours some time soon. Liverpool could be in the market for a young central midfielder amid doubts over the future of Serbian 22-year-old Marko Grujic. They have already signed Fabinho this summer and Naby Keita will also arrive at the start of next month after agreeing terms last summer. With Emre Can now gone, the midfield overhaul might not have finished quite yet.
