Nobody touches Nicolò Barella. After this week’s aggressive offer from Newcastle was delivered via The Telegraph, Inter’s curt response of a denial is ready. The midfielder is simply not for sale.
According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, club president Steven Zhang and managing director Beppe Marotta rate Barella as priceless and simply non-transferable. “The position taken by the Nerazzurri club – at least on this chapter – appears to be firm and unshakable,” according to the Italian newspaper.
Now it is quite normal how Barella’s name ended up in the notebooks of the richest European clubs after such an exceptional season including above all in the Champions League. On that grand stage, he showed an abundance of quality and leadership that is difficult to find elsewhere. Barella’s importance to the Nerazzurri world is much more than just technical.
Barella is a fundamental cog for manager Simone Inzaghi. In the center of the midfield, he can effectively defend when there is high pressure to absorb, but he can also be a lethal attacker in the opposing final third as his numbers from this past season indicate: nine goals and 10 assists in all competitions, plus Serie A’s Best Midfielder award. And inside the locker room he has the recognized leadership from his fellow teammates, similar to the energy he knows how to convey to the Meazza audience.
In 2019 he waited to sign with Inter, despite the pressure from Rome and Naples on Cagliari. That is because Nicolò had dreamed of the Nerazzurri shirt since he was a child. As soon as there was an opportunity, he pushed to climb aboard the Inter project. And with Inter, he has grown up as a pro footballer. He has won a Scudetto, two Italian Cups and two Super Cups. In addition, he helped his team savor the experience of a Champions League final. On top of all that, during his time with the Nerazzurri, he earned a place in the midfield of the national team as they became champions of Europe in 2021. Bare is both the present and the future of Inter: non-transferable.
