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Liverpool news: Jurgen Klopp confident in beating Spurs to £35m-rated Nicolo Barella
LIVERPOOL are leading Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the race to land highly rated Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella.
Jurgen Klopp has been keeping a close eye on the Italy under-21 international who is rated at around £35 million.
Barella, 21, helped Italy finish in third place in the under-21 World Cup last year and was called up into the senior squad last year.
Both of the Milan giants Inter and AC are interested in keeping him in the Serie A but Barella fancies a move to the Premier League.
Tottenham who failed to make a signing during the summer transfer window and keen to do some business for the right players in January.
But Klopp is confident of getting his man who has continued with his eye catching form for the Italian side since the start of the new season.
Barella is a technical player who enjoys getting on the ball and spreading the play.
The Reds have been left slightly short in midfield as they wait on the return of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
There are elements to Barella’s game which make him very similar to Radja Nainggolan who coincidentally spent time with Cagliari too.
It is not a given that the Italian would be a guaranteed starter at Anfield, where there is fierce competition for midfield places.
Klopp may use Ragnar Klavan to help secure a deal, the Estonian defender now plays for the Sardinia club.
The relationship between Liverpool and Cagliari is thought to be very good after the Reds allowed Klavan to move on deadline day.
The Serie A outfit were short in defence and needed to sign a centre-back with the clock ticking.
The Reds were very efficient in business and allowed the deal to happen when they did not need to let Klavan go.