Manchester City reportedly discover how much it will take to sign Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella.
The engine room at the Etihad Stadium has been a hot topic for debate over the past eight days due to a season-ending injury to Rodri.
After sustaining a knee injury against Arsenal, the Spain international has subsequently been ruled in the long term, handing a significant blow to Pep Guardiola.
While he has alternatives in the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Rico Lewis, John Stones and Matheus Nunes, they do not possess the profile of the Euro 2024 winner.
Furthermore, Guardiola's already-limited squad has been reduced to a point where he will have to carefully manage the group through a hectic period between now and the turn of the year.
Guardiola has already acknowledged that consideration is being given to adding another midfielder to his squad during the January transfer window.
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How much will Barella cost?
A previous report has indicated that acquiring Barella from Inter at the midway point of the campaign is highly unlikely.
As well as being a star man at San Siro, the 27-year-old is happy with life in Italy and holds a contract until 2029.
Nevertheless, as per Football Insider, City are aware of what fee would be required to tempt Inter into the sale of one of their most prized assets.
The Premier League champions would be expected to pay at least £70m, a figure that is available courtesy of their shrewd work in the transfer market when it comes to player sales.
With only Gundogan and Savinho arriving in the summer, City would still comfortably comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules even if they shelled out a substantial fee for Barella or an alternative.
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How has Barella started the season?
Inter, the defending Serie A champions, have started the campaign in relatively disappointing fashion, only accumulating 11 points from their opening six games.
As a result, they sit two points adrift of leaders Napoli, but it should be noted that Barella has missed two of their six fixtures.
That said, he was part of the team that suffered a 2-1 reverse at the hands of rivals AC Milan on September 22.
Darren Plant
