Liverpool are in talks to bring Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios to Anfield, according to a report, but TEAMtalk understands that Manchester United’s desire to sign the Spaniard will not make it easy for the Reds to get a deal done.

Barrios has been at Atletico since 2017 and is under contract at the Spanish club until the summer of 2030.

The Spain international midfielder has established himself as an important player in Diego Simeone’s team at Atletico.

Barrios has made 153 appearances for Atletico so far in his career, scoring eight goals and providing 11 assists in the process.

Liverpool have taken a shine to Barrios, according to Space | ™, which has 28,000 followers on X.

The X account, which specialises in German football but also gives inside information on Liverpool from time to time, has claimed that the Reds are in talks with Barrio’s agency.

Liverpool in talks to sign Pablo Barrios

The account posted on X at 11:34am on November 12: “EXCL: Pablo Barrios has emerged as a significant subject of discussion between Liverpool and CAA Stellar in recent weeks, with the agency representing both the Atlético Madrid midfielder and Liverpool’s own Lewis Koumas.

“The longstanding relationship between Liverpool and CAA Stellar, built not only through Koumas but also through historic ties between the parties, naturally provides a regular channel of communication, but the Spanish midfielder’s name has featured far more prominently in those conversations than many might expect, and there is considerably more to this story than has emerged so far.”

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Man Utd target Pablo Barrios – sources

Liverpool, though, are not the only major club from the Premier League to have shown interest in Barrios.

TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, reported on November 2 that Man Utd are keen on a 2027 deal for Barrios.

Sources have told us that Man Utd have enquired about the 23-year-old Spain international midfielder.

Fletcher reported: “United have made an enquiry about Barrios as they assess midfield options.

“The interest is understood to be at an exploratory stage, with no formal negotiations underway.”

We understand that Barrios has a release clause of €500m (£418m, $561m) in his contract at Atletico.