Liverpool Told Italy Star Is A 'Better Fit' For Jurgen Klopp's Squad Ahead Of Marco Verratti

John Barnes has called on Liverpool to end their pursuit of Marco Verratti and launch an ambitious transfer swoop for Lorenzo Insigne this summer.

Ibrahima Konate has been Liverpool's only summer signing after the Reds triggered his release clause of £36m in May.

The former RB Leipzig centre-back's arrival at Anfield will provide Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp with much-needed cover after last season's injury crisis in defence.

However, Liverpool are expected to continue bolstering their squad ahead of the summer window closing, with the Reds expected to add strength to their midfield options.

Verratti missed Italy's opening two Euro 2020 matches this summer due to a knee injury before starring for his side in the remainder of the tournament.

The 28-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, whose current contract expires in 2024, has now been linked with a move to Liverpool.

PA

Barnes believes that Liverpool should ditch their plan to sign Verratti, saying the Italy international would slow down the match a "lot."

The 57-year-old Liverpool legend believes that Napoli captain Insigne "could suit" Liverpool better due to his style of play.

Barnes told Bonus Code Bets: "I think Insigne would be a better fit at Liverpool than Verratti.

PA

"Verratti slows the game down a lot -- he has a lot of the ball in midfield and he makes nice short passes, but I don't necessarily think he's of the profile of Liverpool's midfield players.

"They've got [Jordan] Henderson, [James] Milner, [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain -- strong, hard, physical players -- and that's not what Verratti is.

"But Insigne, the way he plays, could suit Liverpool. But we've got [Diogo] Jota, so I don't think you'd want to lose one of the front four.

"Don't forget, [Divock] Origi is still there. I think it depends on who leaves: if you bring people in and no-one goes, you have lots of players who can't play."

Topics: Liverpool, John Barnes, Paris Saint-Germain, Serie A, Ligue 1, marco verratti, PSG, Premier League, England, Napoli, France, Italy

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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