Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella is currently top of Europe’s big five leagues for combined goals and assists so far this season, with five of each.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who note that the 25-year-old has marked himself out as more and more of a threat in the final third over the past couple of seasons for the Nerazzurri.
When Barella joined Inter from Cagliari, he was seen as more of a box-to-box midfielder who could do a bit of everything in the centre of the pitch, rather than an attacking midfielder.
Under coach Simone Inzaghi, the 25-year-old has continued to be an important player in deeper areas and in the midfield battle overall.
However, the former Cagliari midfielder’s five goals and five assists this season are a testament to how decisive he can be when he gets forward.
As the Gazzetta notes, no central midfielder in Serie A, the Premier League, La Liga, the Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 can boast a better record in this respect.