Spanish Report Claims Liverpool Have Joined Barcelona in Race to Sign Highly Rated Sevilla Defender

Liverpool are interested in 22-year-old Sevilla defender Clement Lenglet, according to reports in Spain. However, the Premier League side will have to fight off the likes of Barcelona if they are to land the highly-rated French star.

Lenglet signed for La Liga side Sevilla in January 2017, after starting his career in France at AS Nancy, where he helped them gain promotion to Ligue 1.

The France Under-21 international has impressed since his arrival in Spain, and his performances this term have caught the eye of some of Europe's biggest clubs.

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The central defender has made 48 appearances for Vincenzo Montella's side this season, as he has established himself as a crucial player for the Andalusians. His displays in La Liga and the Champions League have led to interest from Spanish giants Barcelona, who are thought to be preparing a summer bid for the youngster.

However, AS (via the Liverpool Echo) suggest that Liverpool have joined the race to sign the talented defender, and the Reds could offer £39m to land their target.

Despite looking more defensively robust in recent weeks, Jurgen Klopp is thought to be considering new additions for the Liverpool back line to pair up with January signing Virgil van Dijk.

While the Echo have poured scorn on the Lenglet links, Reds fans have called for the Merseyside club to sign highly-rated young Dutch star Matthijs de Ligt, who is also being chased by top sides, with Manchester City and Arsenal reportedly battling it out.