Media Recap: An about-face on whether or not to negotiate a deal for Nicol Barella could be of interest to Liverpool. A “transformative” Reds player has been named by Steven Gerrard.
‘Favorite’ of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard
A favorite defender of Steven Gerrard’s has been named. His selection is still with the team he captained for more than a decade, Liverpool.
When naming his ideal five-a-side team on the PFA YouTube channel, Gerrard was met with a defensive conundrum. Even though John Terry was his final choice, he offered nothing but high regard for Liverpool’s new captain, Virgil van Dijk.
Jordan Henderson, who Gerrard recently signed for Saudi Arabian club Al Ettifaq, will be replaced by Virgil van Dijk. The great number eight has endorsed the selection, praising the Dutchman’s abilities.
John Terry is the one I’d choose. Despite my apparent partiality, I’d go with Big Virg because he’s my favorite defender in the world right now and has completely revamped Liverpool over the past five or six years.
Van Dijk, now 32 years old, is not nearly the same player he was at his very top, but he will be looking to prove that judgement incorrect as he leads Liverpool into a new season. Let go of him, Stevie.
Reversal of Nicol Barella’s Transfer
As of late, Inter Milan seems more open to trading for Nicol Barella. Despite first rejecting Newcastle’s offer, the club is now willing to sell its star midfielder.
CalcioMercato reports that Inter has changed its stance significantly. The club had previously said that Barella was “unsellable,” but it is now willing to accept “important offers.”
The story makes a point of emphasizing the fact that Barella has not been traded. But Inter will consider offers in the range of $88 million (£69 million/€80 million).
Earlier in the window, there was speculation that Liverpool would acquire Barella. Gazzetta dello Sport reported in February that he was a potential signing for Liverpool. After bringing in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, it is unclear if Jürgen Klopp is still interested in a player with a similar profile.