Liverpool are at a risk of missing out on signing summer transfer target Lorenzo Pellegrini, who plays for Italian giants AS Roma, as per Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t The Mirror).

The report claims that the 21-year-old’s fantastic displays have earned him attention from Juventus and Inter Milan, making it unlikely for the player to choose to move to a foreign league instead.

A defensive midfielder by trade, Pellegrini is regarded as one of the most promising players across Europe for his scintillating exploits in the Serie A as well as the Champions League. He has 3 goals and 5 assists to his name this season, in addition to making some quality defensive moves as well.

His strength lies in his quick decision-making ability which helps him either push forward or guard the defence according to the requirement.

The Mirror has claimed that he has a release clause of £22million in his current contract with Roma, which is a fair price to pay for a player of his calibre. Unfortunately for Liverpool though, we might not be able to convince him to join us ahead of Juve and Inter Milan.

With Emre Can’s contract set to run out at the end of this season, one cannot deny that Liverpool are in need of a defensive-minded midfielder. Given Pellegrini’s skills, he could be the ideal replacement for Can but moving to a league as physically demanding as the English top-flight can be a daunting task for even the toughest of players.

While most of us would like to see a player like Pellegrini at Anfield next season, it seems like we might have to look elsewhere now.