Transfer Talk
The Serie A has become more competitive than ever this season. The Italian league has benefitted from the return to form of Napoli, Inter Milan and other teams as well. However, Cagliari FC are languishing in the sixteenth position as of now. They are just a place above the relegation zone.
In spite of undergoing a testing season, Cagliari have been in the news due to a certain Nicolo Barella. The 20-year old has made heads turn with his performances in the past year or so. Cagliari are adamant on keeping hold of the attacking midfielder but the lad has attracted suitors in the form of some of the biggest clubs in England. And in response to all the attention, his current club have slapped a price of £44m for his signature.
Barella, Who?
Nicolo Barella has been with Cagliari FC since 2014 and has risen through the ranks to develop into one of their most exciting players. Barella is primarily a central midfielder but can switch to a defensive or offensive position quite easily.
He likes to shift onto the wings too and always puts in extra yards on the field. Barella can link the team’s defence and attack with his swift positional skills and awareness. The lad has amazing close control, can play good passes and is a good reader of the game.
He operates equally well from a deeper position and is adept at finding the forward players with balls over the top of the defence. His vision is impressive, considering the fact that he is still 20 and has plenty of room for improvement in his game. Another impressive attribute is that Barella is a very good tackler of the ball.
His tackling belies his age, as the boy hardly ever gets malicious with his challenges. The Italian keeps his head down and commits his challenge with a degree of safety and efficiency, thereby recovering the ball at the centre of the park without committing too many fouls. Last season he appeared in 28 matches in the league. This time he has represented the team on 18 different occasions.
He has scored twice and assisted once this season, however, it has been his overall work rate which has been appreciated by the experts. The lad is one for the future, but now might not be the time to make the big leap to Manchester United because…
Not Now
Manchester United have a host of attacking talent in their ranks, especially in the midfield. The emergence of Jesse Lingard coupled with the development of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford means that the club already has players more than capable of representing them regularly. The likes of Pogba and Herrera along with Matic and Fellaini have made sure the midfield is somewhere United will find it hard to include new talent right now.
Another player, that is Andreas Pereira is out on loan at Valencia and might come back at the end of the season. Pereira and Barella are very similar players and this might go against United’s pursuit of the Italian wonderkid. Possibly, Manchester United could secure the signature of Alexis Sanchez too and that would leave no room for any other forward in the team.
Nicolo Barella thrives while playing behind the striker too but Manchester United cannot guarantee that place to him. Additionally, the lad’s footballing education is still incomplete. Hence it would be beneficial if he stays in his home country and learns the tricks of the trade before making the big move to Old Trafford.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored
