Barcelona centre-back Marc Bartra is available for £6.1 million this summer, with Liverpool reportedly his favoured destination.
The 25-year-old struggled to secure regular first-team football at Barcelona in 2015/16, making 24 appearances for the Catalan giants, including just 10 starts.
This lack of game time has ensured that a new release clause has been activated within Bartra’s contract.
Bartra is now available for £6.1 million, alerting a host of Europe’s top clubs, and according to Spanish outlet L’Esportiu, this may include Liverpool.
The 10-cap Spain international has one year left on his current deal, with Barcelona reportedly keen to negotiate a buy-back clause if Bartra is to leave this summer.
This could see Barcelona accept an offer below Bartra’s release clause, though if the Reds are interested in securing his services, £6.1 million represents a low-risk fee for a talented defender.
Furthermore, Bartra is said to favour a move to either Liverpool or Villarreal, with both Man United and Fiorentina also interested.
The possibility of Liverpool making a move for Bartra would likely hinge on the future of Mamadou Sakho, with the Frenchman currently awaiting the results of an investigation into an alleged doping offence.
Sakho was initially said to be facing a ban of up to two years for testing positive to a fat-burning drug.
But in a shock turn on Saturday afternoon, it transpired that he may not be charged, with it unclear at this stage whether the substance found in his system should be on UEFA’s banned list.
If Sakho is banned, however, Bartra would offer a great solution, and the ball-playing centre-back could come in to operate alongside either Dejan Lovren or Joel Matip.
At £6.1 million, it may be worth pursuing Bartra this summer either way, as while his Liga career has stagnated, he would bolster Jurgen Klopp‘s ranks significantly.
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