Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella will be staying at the club moving forwards.

What did Romano say about Barella?

Liverpool were linked with the 24-year-old at the start of the summer, and Romano has revealed that he still gets quizzed on the Italian's availability by the club's fans.

However, he now appears to have given the Reds' supporters a definitive answer on Barella's contract situation by stating that he will be staying in Serie A for the foreseeable future.

Romano told The Here We Go Podcast“Many Liverpool fans asking about Barella as an option for Liverpool or for other clubs. Let me say – no. Inter want to keep Barella and they are preparing a new contract for him. Barella is staying and is not going to Liverpool.”

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How did Barella fare at Euro 2020?

Barella played a key role in Italy's triumph at the European Championships earlier this year, featuring in six of the team's seven matches in the competition.

The box-to-box midfielder provided an assist in Italy's second group game against Switzerland, but saved his best performance for the quarter-final clash with Belgium.

In that match, he scored an outstanding individual goal, weaving between defenders before finding the bottom corner, and he delivered the pass for Lorenzo Insigne to score what turned out to be the winner.

Barella went on to start the semi-final and the final, as Italy held their nerve to overcome Spain and England on penalties at Wembley.

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How big a blow is it for Liverpool to be missing out on Barella?

Liverpool do still have a number of options in the middle of the park, meaning that missing out on Barella is hardly a major setback.

Then again, Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Thiago Alcantara are all in their thirties now, Harvey Elliott is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after dislocating his ankle earlier this month, plus Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita have had plenty of fitness issues themselves in recent years.

Therefore, it seems that Jurgen Klopp has several midfielders who are either in the latter stages of their careers, or who simply can't be relied upon to stay fit.

Barella is rarely injured, and he seems to be approaching his peak, having already won a major international tournament, and Serie A with Inter in 2021.

This highlights how he could have been an excellent addition to their squad, but we now know that almost certainly won't be happening any time soon.