Newcastle United are closing in on a stunning swoop for Inter Milan star Nicolo Barella, as Eddie Howe looks to bolster his squad after clinching Champions League qualification.
Nicolo Barella, 26, highly coveted across Europe, has been with Inter Milan since 2020 and developed into a top box-to-box midfielder. He has won both domestic cup competitions with Inter this term, as well as guiding them to a third-place finish in Serie A. Whilst Italy international endured a heartbreak last week when the Nerazzurri lost the Champions League final 1-0 to Manchester City.
After four successful seasons at the San Siro, the 26-year-old now could be set for a move to the Premier League. Newcastle United are reportedly close to completing a £50m deal to sign the Italian central midfielder, with negotiations at an advanced stage.
Eddie Howe is pushing hard to make two marquee signings as the cornerstones of his summer 2023 transfer business. He has earmarked two midfield acquisitions, with Leicester City’s James Maddison eyed along with Barella in a potential revamp of the area, as the Magpies look to continue fighting against the traditional ‘Big Six’.
Newcastle prepare for life back in the Champions League
Newcastle are looking to upgrade certain areas of the squad over the summer transfer window ahead of next season’s Champions League football. Eddie Howe worked wonders and overachieved with the current group of players this past season but he knows a lot of investment has to be made to further strengthen the Newcastle squad to be competitive in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
The Magpies manager wants to add to his midfield unit on priority. He is eyeing two midfielders and one of his targets is Inter’s Nicolo Barella. Barella would be Newcastle’s highest earner if a deal can be agreed upon with Inter as the Italy international represents a major statement of intent from Newcastle.
The 26-year-old is versatile in nature; he can feature in a defensive as well as an attacking role. Barella was among the club’s best performers throughout the 2022-23 season, and his quality on the ball, vision, dynamism and work ethic would be a good foil for Bruno Guimaraes. The Italian’s arrival would allow Bruno to play higher up the pitch and influence more in the final third.
There is still work to be done and Barella needs persuading to leave Inter, but if Newcastle are able to get a deal for the 26-year-old and James Maddison over the line, then they could transform their midfield fortunes in a single summer.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
