Newcastle United have been linked with a shock move for Nicolo Barella this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.
What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Nicolo Barella?
According to Football Insider, Newcastle will need to make a club-record bid to sign the Inter Milan midfielder this summer.
As per the report, the Italian giants value Barella at £70m – despite Newcastle being linked with a £50m move – and the Magpies have made a move for a top-quality midfielder their main priority this summer to partner star man Bruno Guimaraes in the heart of the team.
Will Newcastle sign Barella this summer?
With Champions League qualification secured there is a real opportunity for Eddie Howe to add even more star quality to his first team as the club continue their pursuit of success and trophies.
Indeed, Howe will want to give opportunities to his current squad to experience playing Champions League football next season considering their determination and resilience to secure a top-four finish, but it will be important to also ensure there is enough quality and experience in the squad to give it their best shot.
As a result, the signing of Barella – who was once hailed "top-class" by Jurgen Klopp – would certainly prove the club hierarchy's ambitious intent to keep up the rapid progress the Tynesiders have made over the last 18 months and compete comfortably at the highest level both domestically and on the European stage next season.
The Newcastle boss has relied heavily on the undeniable connection that Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Sean Longstaff have formed in the centre of the pitch, but a club record-breaking move for Barella could not only break that bond but also improve the quality in performances drastically.
When comparing the Euro 2020 winner's output to Longstaff's over this season, it is clear that Barella has comfortably outperformed his positional peer in a number of key attributes including goal contributions (12 v 5), pass completion (81.6% v 81.1%), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.17 v 2.22), take-on success (57.1% v 29.6), progressive passes (214 v 116) and progressive carries (76 v 21), as per FBref.
Not only that, the 26-year-old Italian – dubbed a "genius" by sports editor Mike Piellucci – ranks in the top 8% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals and progressive passes received, as well as ranking in the top 20% for shot-creating actions, progressive passes and progressive carries, proving that he is one of the best attacking-minded midfielders in Europe.
With that being said, there is no doubt that Barella would be a major coup for Newcastle and a worthy upgrade on Longstaff, but at £70m it will be interesting to see if the club are willing to break their club record to sign the Champions League finalist this summer.
