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Liverpool could turn their attention to Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella if Aurelien Tchouameni decides to join Real Madrid, according to the Express.
Days after losing the Champions League final to Real Madrid, the Reds now look destined to lose out on Aurelien Tchouameni to Los Blancos.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the 22-year-old midfielder's preferred destination is the Santiago Bernabeu, with Madrid preparing a €80 million bid with some add-ons.
Liverpool will now need a "Plan B" and according to the aforementioned source, that could be Nicolo Barella from Inter Milan. According to the Express, Jurgen Klopp's side first wanted to sign the Italian midfielder back in 2017.
After five years, the 25-year-old midfielder has grown in stature and has become one of the key players at Inter Milan and in the Italian national team.
Barella made 48 appearances for Inter Milan during the 2021-22 season and contributed four goals and 13 assists across all competitions. According to Transfermarkt, Barella is currently valued at €70 million.
Despite being more on the pricier side, the Italian international would still cost Liverpool less than what Real Madrid would pay for Aurelien Tchouameni.
It is worth mentioning that Barella also played a vital role in guiding Italy to the Euro 2020 title last summer.
The 25-year-old midfielder played six times in the tournament, including starting in the final against England. However, he was subbed-off at the 54th minute mark and replaced by Bryan Cristante.
Why are Liverpool and Real Madrid in search of new midfielders?
Both Liverpool and Real Madrid are in search of new midfielders ahead of the 2022-23 season. Carlo Ancelotti's side are looking to strengthen their midfield despite winning the Champions League recently.
Los Blancos have relied on their midfield trio of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro for quite some time now.
Despite still having the quality to compete at the top level, the trio are nearing the twilight of their respective careers. Luka Modric will be turning 37 later this year while Kroos is already 32 years old.
Real Madrid, however, did sign Eduardo Camavinga from Ligue 1 side Rennes last summer and are now looking to add another young French midfielder in Aurelien Tchouameni.
Liverpool, on the other hand, also need strengthening in midfield. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is expected to leave Anfield in the near future with James Milner also nearing an exit from the club.
Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita are decent options in the middle but are never too far away from sustaining a major injury.
