Nicolo Barella may be an adopted son of Inter Milan, but there can be no doubting where his affections lie some five years after first making his way to Milan.

Inter have always prided themselves on having an Italian heart beating at their core, and that remains as true today as it has ever been.

It may be difficult at times to fend off advances from afar, with transfer fees increasing at an alarming rate, but there are some things that money cannot buy.

Love falls effortlessly into that category, and that is a quality that Barella boasts in abundance.

Tthe midfield maestro and his current employers have forged an emotional bond that may prove impossible to break.

Interest has been shown, on a regular basis, but a deaf ear and blind eye continue to be turned to those writing blank cheques while promising the world.

Headlines

As a prominent performer for Inter and Italy, Barella forever finds himself in the shop window.

That will be the case again this summer, with Euro 2024 betting pricing the Azzurri at around 14/1 to go back-to-back and successfully defend the continental crown that they claimed in dramatic style at Wembley Stadium during an absorbing encounter with England in 2021.

Barella was a star of the show back then, but has matured into an even more rounded performer in the years that have followed.

He may not be one to dominate the headlines, but those around him certainly know his value.

You can count on Barella to lead from the front, with there no threat of him ever backing down if somehow maneuvered into a corner that requires him to come out swinging.

That never-say-die attitude holds obvious appeal to clubs across the planet. With that in mind, it has come as no surprise to find that transfer speculation has raged across several windows.

Over the course of the last 12 months, Barella has reportedly registered on the recruitment radars of Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and Manchester City – dominant forces that have claimed the last seven English top-flight crowns between them.

There was a time, not all that long ago, that such interest would turn heads and lead to an inevitable parting of ways.

The Solid Bond Between Inter Milan & Nicolo Barella

That does not appear to be the case at present, with clubs that have grown accustomed to getting their own way having to stomach a large helping of humble pie.

Barella is happy where he is. He is a hero to those in the stands and a talismanic presence that Inter have no intention of parting with.

His standing at San Siro will be recognised, as it should be, with a new contract expected to be signed at some point in the not-too-distant future.

Those terms will make Barella the highest-paid Italian in Serie A, with a new deal – potentially through to the summer of 2029 – lifting him above club colleague Alessandro Bastoni and those that he shares an international dressing room with.

Few could argue that the all-action midfielder is undeserving of such a standing in the domestic game.

Agreement

Barella has proven himself time and again, and such consistency is notoriously difficult to find.

It would be wrong to suggest that the European Championship winner is a priceless commodity – as money will always talk – but he is as close to being that as Inter have on their books.

He deserves his new contract, with all parties having worked hard to put an agreement in place that keeps everybody happy.

Could he have earned even more at Anfield or the Etihad Stadium? Probably, but it is refreshing to see that financial factors are not the determining factor for every player in the modern era.

Barella knows that grass is not always greener on the other side and that staying put is often the most sensible option.

In Milan, they adore him, and has an opportunity to pull up a seat alongside the all-time greats and achieve sporting immortality.

It is not lost on him that the same could not be said if he packed bags for Merseyside or Manchester.