Juventus Reportedly Drop Interest in Liverpool Transfer Target Nicolo Barella

Juventus have reportedly cooled their interest in Cagliari midfieler Nicolo Barella, who is rumoured to be a target for Liverpool.

According to Calciomercato's Fabrizio Romano, Juve, Roma and the two Milan clubs approached Cagliari regarding Barella in the summer, with the Bianconeri being the first to do so, but the Serie A giants "have gone a bit cold" on him as it seems he could cost more than €35 million (£31 million).

Neil Fissler of the Express recently reported Liverpool were "confident" of landing his signature and that the player would prefer a move to England.

The 21-year-old scored six goals for Cagliari last season to help keep them in Serie A last year, and he has already found the net once in this campaign with a free-kick to beat Atalanta 1-0.

Football writer Rosse Marrai-Ricco expressed her admiration for him after he wore the captain's armband in a 1-1 draw with AC Milan over the weekend:

ESPN's Matteo Bonetti believes it's only a matter of time before he leaves Cagliari for a more illustrious club:

Discipline is possibly an issue for the youngster, as he collected 13 yellow cards in Serie A last year, but it seems he's an exciting prospect with a bright future ahead.

Juve's reluctance to part with such a fee for him is understandable, but Liverpool may not have such qualms, particularly if he gets another good season of first-team football under his belt.

The Reds have plenty of competition already in midfield, though, after Fabinho and Naby Keita arrived in the summer.

If they come in for Barella they'll no doubt be a tempting option, but he'll also need to consider his development and how much game time he's likely to receive at Anfield.