Barcelona and Bayern Munich chasing Liverpool target

Liverpool will hope to continue their perfect start to the new season when they host Championship side Southampton in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday evening. 

The Reds have started the defence of their Premier League title flawlessly, winning all five of their matches in the competition so far.

They also started their Champions League campaign strongly, beating La Liga giants Atletico Madrid 3-2 in a thrilling encounter at Anfield.

Off the pitch, though, it appears that the Merseyside giants could be dealt a blow in their pursuit of a Premier League star.

According to Football Insider, La Liga champions Barcelona and German title holders Bayern Munich have both joined the race to sign Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.

Guehi looks set to leave Crystal Palace next year (Photo: News Images LTD/Alamy)

The centre-back was the subject of intense interest from Liverpool during the recent summer transfer window, and the Reds had agreed a deal to sign the player on deadline day.

The proposed switch ultimately fell through, though, much to the frustration of the Premier League champions.

Now, the report claims that both Barcelona and Bayern are interested in the England international – who is set to be out of contract at the end of the current season – when the window reopens in January.

Guehi, 25, has made 164 appearances for the Eagles since joining from London rivals Chelsea four years ago.

Is it claimed that Liverpool remain interested in the defender but are not considering a mid-season move for the player, which could open the door to European clubs with La Liga giants Real Madrid also keeping tabs on Guehi.

Liverpool are hoping to land the centre-back as a free agent at the end of the current campaign, but it appears increasingly unlikely that the player will be available next summer as some of Europe’s biggest clubs circle.