Manchester City may find it hard to top last season’s incredible treble success, yet Pep Guardiola is not sitting still ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
With a Champions League title to defend and the chance to stamp their authority as one of the finest-ever club teams in England, City are seemingly interested in signing Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella.
Are Man City interested in Nicolo Barella?
According to 90min, Guardiola has done work on Barella ahead of a potential move as he looks to bolster his midfield options.
The Italian could cost the club around £69m, per reports in Italy, and a potential switch comes amid the uncertainty surrounding the future of Bernando Silva.
Silva informed Guardiola that he wanted to leave City once the 2022/23 season had finished and with Paris Saint-Germain keen on luring him to France, it certainly appears as though the Spaniard is preparing for life without him.
Will Bernando Silva leave Man City this summer?
Despite this reported interest from PSG, Guardiola has made it clear he wishes to keep the Portuguese star at the Etihad, particularly with the departure of Ilkay Gundogan already this summer.
If he digs his heels in over a move away, however, the club might have no choice but to sell him and this is where a move for Barella would come into play.
The 26-year-old is hitting his peak years and enjoyed a fruitful campaign for Inter Milan, registering 19 goal contributions – nine goals and ten assists – from a central midfield slot as he won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana along with reaching the Champions League final.
The eventual 1-0 defeat to City may well have been an audition for Barella and his eye for goal has no doubt grabbed Guardiola’s attention.
How good is Nicola Barella?
He has been lauded as a “genius” by journalist Mike Piellucci previously and there is no doubt the midfielder is going from strength to strength, and not just in goal-scoring terms either.
In Serie A, Barella ranked third in the Inter squad for key passes per game (1.6), while also topping the pile for successful dribbles per game (1.1), demonstrating that not only did he exude his creative juices and create chances for others, but his ability to motor past defenders is also particularly impressive.
In contrast, Silva managed just 0.9 key passes per game for City in the Premier League, ranking him sixth in their squad, while completing just 0.8 successful dribbles per game too, suggesting that Barella would be a more than adequate heir to the 28-year-old should he leave Manchester this summer.
The Italian also registered more non-penalty goals (0.22 to 0.2) and progressive passes (6.62 to 5.37) per 90 than Silva across the previous 365 days, certainly underlining his vast attacking qualities.
There is still plenty of time left in the current transfer window and Silva may well end up staying at the club. Guardiola has clearly been preparing for his departure by looking at Barella and the former Barcelona boss could take the Inter gem to the next level should he move to England.