According to reports, Real Madrid has highlighted Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella as the perfect long-term replacement for veteran Luka Modric.
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Barella, 24, joined Inter Milan in 2019 following a £24.93m move from domestic rivals Cagliari.
Since his arrival, the Italian midfielder has gone on to feature in 84 games and directly contribute to 26 goals, in all competitions.
However, despite the Nerazzurri recently claiming their 19th Serie A title, they, like all clubs, have been unable to escape the financial repercussions the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had.
And according to reports, in an attempt to balance their books, the club could be looking to offload at least one big name once the summer transfer window opens.
Outlet Diariogol (as cited by Calciomercato) speculate that Spanish giants Real Madrid are among the potential destinations for the Italian midfielder.
Zinedine Zidane’s Los Blancos are rumoured to view Barella as the ideal replacement for veteran playmaker Modric.
Despite being a previous Ballon d’Or winner, Modric is now well into his mid 30’s and is unlikely to remain at the top of his game for much longer.