£40m man reportedly wanted by Arsenal deemed by Andrea Pirlo to be ‘one of the best’

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Arsenal have reportedly made contact with Inter Milan over Nicolo Barella, a player who Andrea Pirlo rates incredibly highly.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is thought to be keen on bolstering his ranks in the summer and a new central midfielder is reportedly in his sights.

Barella came through the ranks at hometown club Cagliari and has developed into such a player that Inter came calling last summer.

The 23-year-old joined the Nerazzurri on a year-long loan deal with an obligation to buy after the loan period and a four-year permanent contract kicking in thereafter.

In late 2018, Italy legend Pirlo said of Barella, as quoted by the Daily Mail: “He is one of the best players in Italy. So in the national team he has to play.”

FC Inter News claim that Arsenal have got in touch with the Milan side to enquire about the player, but were rebuffed at the first attempt.

Indeed, Inter – who reportedly paid Cagliari £40million for Barella plus bonuses – reportedly want to extend his contract further, all the way to 2025.

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You can’t blame Arsenal for trying – after all, if a player of Pirlo’s calibre has such kind things to say about a youngster, then clearly he’s got something special about him.

Plaudits aside, Barella’s exploits on the pitch speak for themselves – he is a versatile and complete midfielder with plenty of great traits.

That said, that would be precisely why Inter would be so eager to hang on to him, so it’s not much of a surprise that they reportedly snubbed Arsenal’s interest.