Liverpool make ‘fierce’ move to rival Man City, Chelsea and European bidder for Robertson successor

Liverpool appear to have joined the race to sign Boca Juniors left-back Valentin Barco, according to an Italian report that has also revealed which club wants to take him to Serie A instead.

Barco is making a name for himself in South America, already earning 33 appearances for Boca Juniors in his teenage years – including a start in the recent Copa Libertadores final, which they lost to Fluminense. However, he is only under contract with his current club until the end of December 2024, which means he has been tipped to make a move to Europe in the new year.

Manchester City have been heavily linked with Barco, owing to the fact that they lack a natural left-back in their squad.

TEAMtalk has also revealed that he is on Chelsea’s shortlist in case they say goodbye to Marc Cucurella and Ian Maatsen in 2024.

And now, Calciomercato has claimed that Liverpool have got in on the act and are ready to provide ‘fierce competition’ for the signing of Barco.

Liverpool’s current options at left-back are Andrew Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas. The former will be 30 by the end of the season, though, while the latter has been inconsistent when filling in for him recently.

Even Joe Gomez has had to adapt to a left-back berth on a couple of occasions this season, despite usually being a right-footed centre-half.

Therefore, Liverpool will be keeping an eye on potential targets for the future who could take over from Robertson in the long term, not that it would need to be an immediate priority.

At 19 years of age, Barco could become an option for years to come at Liverpool – that is, if they can win the increasingly competitive race to sign him.

Juventus ready to move for Liverpool target

Other than his admirers in the Premier League, Calciomercato claims Juventus are interested in taking him to Serie A instead.

At left-back, Juventus still have the 32-year-old Alex Sandro among their ranks until his contract lapses at the end of the season. His natural alternative is the 23-year-old Andrea Cambiaso, who has been integrated after a loan spell with Bologna, or the 31-year-old Filip Kostic when operating as a wing-back.

Because of Sandro’s contract situation, the pathway to regular gametime might be clearer for Barco at Juventus than Liverpool, where Robertson remains under contract until 2026 and Tsimikas has just extended his deal until 2027.

Nevertheless, Liverpool will be eager not to miss out on someone who could strengthen their squad, so could add another Argentine player to the ranks after their summer capture of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton.

Furthermore, Barco is believed to have a €10m release clause (£8.8m) in his contract, so it might be wise to strike before his value increases.

If anyone activates an exit clause, it means the decision will be solely up to the player about whether to move or not, so Liverpool will have to be persuasive to Barco if they intend to bid for him.

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