Liverpool are one of three Premier League clubs 'ready' to make a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong in January, according to reports.
ESPN claim the Reds are alongside Chelsea and Manchester United - both of whom approached the midfielder in the summer - in exploring the possibility of signing De Jong after Graham Potter's side received 'encouragement' that the Dutchman may look to leave after the World Cup.
Erik ten Hag's side were adamant for much of the summer window that they could land the 25-year-old, with Barcelona pushing hard to force him out the door in a bid to cut their wage bill. But with a contract that runs until 2026, and de Jong's desire to prove himself at the Camp Nou, his decision to stay quashed any summer moves.
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Since then, however, the former Ajax man has started just five games across all competitions this season and faces the prospect of missing out on the latter stages of the Champions League, with Barcelona looking likely to miss out on qualification from their group. Both of those developments have alerted any interested parties, and midfield problems at Chelsea and Liverpool could encourage them to take advantage swiftly in January.
Liverpool had endured their worst league start for a decade until Sunday's brilliant 1-0 win against Manchester City, and much of their early-season woes have been attributed to an ageing midfield as well as injuries in that area. The Reds have been linked with a number of midfielders since the closure of the window.
Similarly, Chelsea have suffered a huge blow in their midfield after the news that N'Golo Kante will be out for four months, and both Kante and Jorginho have contracts that end next summer. United, meanwhile, could back away from their interest after spending nearly £200million over the summer - including a late £70million deal on Casemiro to add the midfielder they desperately needed.
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