Liverpool look to be in a period of transition as Jurgen Klopp eyes a squad rebuild following a topsy-turvy campaign that has left them fifth in the Premier League table heading into the final day.

The Reds have confirmed through their official channels that Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will leave Anfield upon the expiration of their contracts this summer, paving the way for some much-needed freshening of the guard heading into 2023/24.

In their search for midfield reinforcements, Borussia Dortmund Jude Bellingham had been heavily linked with a switch to Merseyside. Nevertheless, ESPN report that Liverpool pulled out of the race to sign the England international as 'the move would prevent the club from strengthening elsewhere ahead of next season', leading Klopp and company to pursue alternative targets.

Football Insider broke earlier this month that Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella has emerged as someone who Liverpool have serious interest in and they have become 'frontrunners' to secure his signature, with a fee of £61 million potential being enough to tempt the Serie A giants into selling the €178,077 (£154,450) earner.

What's the latest news involving Nicolo Barella and how has he faired in 2022/23?

The Football Insider report also claims that Inter Milan would be 'open' to letting Barella explore a new challenge this summer and detailed that he has been scouted by Reds chiefs.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones has stated his belief that Barella could become Liverpool's version of Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan at the heart of Klopp's midfield.

Jones told FFC: "They could definitely have their own version of Gundogan, possibly even for right now, a better version, given that he is emerging as a player, whereas Gundogan is the fully developed, experienced end product; I think that Barella might still have a desire inside him to keep pushing on and possibly even slightly remould himself into whatever it is that Jurgen Klopp would want."

Barella, like Gundogan, has a keen eye for goal and has managed to record eight goals and nine assists in 48 appearances across all competitions for his side this term, as per Transfermarkt.

FBRef also takes into account that the Cagliari-born 26-year-old star has provided a glut of chances for his teammates this campaign, successfully completing 140 shot-creating actions in total.

In Serie A, the Italy international has also illustrated his capacity to perform a number of functional roles in the middle of the park, having racked up an average of 1.6 key passes and 1.4 tackles per game in 2022/23, according to WhoScored.

Intriguingly, Liverpool boss Klopp has previously praised Barella's all-round ability in an interview in February 2022, as cited by OneFootball, saying: "He's a really good player, a really good player and I like him a lot. He has all the things you want from a midfield player: he is aggressive, he is technical, he can run for ages and all these kinds of things. That's a top-class player."

Seeing that Klopp is a fan of Barella may add weight to prospective rumours linking the playmaker with a move to Anfield and his versatility would likely compensate for their failed long-running pursuit of Bellingham.

Multiple midfield additions are said to be on the horizon at Liverpool and Barella could well be their very own midfield general to drive the Reds forward for the coming years.

The Liverpool Echo claim that financial concerns at Inter Milan may make the process of a sale smoother for Liverpool, who simply cannot pass up opportunities to bring a player who is of the calibre of Barella to Anfield in the summer.