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#3 Nicolo Barella (Cagliari)
Nicolo Barella is a 21-year-old central midfielder who plays for Cagliari in Serie A. He has also featured for Italy's national team, having made four appearances since his debut in October 2018.
Barella was only really given a spot in the first team a season-and-a-half ago; before that, he wasn't thought of as anything other than a young kid with potential to play for the squad in the future. But since joining the first team, he's excelled in his midfield role, drawing attention from clubs all over Europe.
His market value rose from just £1m in 2016 to £27m, as of December 2018, according to Transfermarkt. It's likely that Cagliari will attempt to ask for higher when clubs inevitably hunt for his signature next month, given how crucial he is to their current set-up.
Rumour probability: 8/10
TalkSPORT reported back in November that Juventus had tabled a £30m bid for Barella after a long string of impressive performances for Cagliari. Barella's current club do not need to respond to the offer until the transfer window opens, which it seems like they're doing, leaving everybody in the dark.
With Liverpool also vying for the 21-year-old's signature, this could make things tricky for Juventus next month. However, with the Italian already adept with Serie A, a move to Juventus might be a more comfortable option than to take on the Premier League at such a tender age. He would likely be selected for the first team more often, too.
