27 Mar 2016

Transfer Battle: Liverpool keen to sign €30m Barcelona star who's '25,000 times better than Song'

Last summer, Liverpool linked with a move for Barcelona defender Marc Bartra, and new reports this week suggest that the Spaniard is also on Jurgen Klopp's transfer radar.

According to Spanish newspaper El Confidencial, Liverpool are West Ham will face off this summer in a bid to land Bartra, whose contract expires in June 2017.

Some info about Barta:

* 25 year old centre-back who can also play as a right back. Contract contains a €30m buyout clause.

* 101 apps for Barcelona (5 goals/4 assists). Averaging 49 mins of playing time per game this season. 6 apps for the Spain national team.

* When Barca selected Alex song ahead of Bartra in central defence during the 2013-14 season, Bartra's unhappy agent barked: "Bartra is 25,000 times better than Song as a central defender".

* Jul 2015: When asked about Liverpool's interest, he told reporters: “I like to watch the Premier League. English football is a little anarchic, full of one-v-ones. I like that, but my heart is in Barça.”

* Jun 2015: Bartra's agent confirmed that a future transfer is a possibility: "If there was real interest from clubs where he [Bartra] could get more space then we’ll listen and make our own decisions.”

€30m for Bartra is massively overpriced, and if Lovren, Sakho, and Skrtel stay at the club (plus Matip arriving this summer), the Spaniard may suffer the same fate as he has at Barcelona, i.e. a perennial bit-part player struggling to get regular game-time. That said, with Liverpool's defenders regularly injured, there's clearly an opportunity there for another central defender to step-in and stake a claim.

Liverpool have been linked with countless Barcelona players over the last 5 years, but never managed to actually seal a deal for anyone. Could the Reds finally break the Nou Camp duck with Bartra?

Author: Jaimie K


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