Liverpool are reportedly keen on signing the Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios.

The 21-year-old is highly-rated across Europe and several European heavyweights are keeping tabs on his situation.

According to a report from Fichajes, Liverpool have shown interest in acquiring his services but Atletico Madrid are not keen on sanctioning his departure.

Any negotiations for the 21-year-old will begin from a base price of €50 million and it remains to be seen whether Liverpool are ready to break the bank for him. The report states that Liverpool could be willing to make an offer for the player, but it is not certain that they will pay the asking price. Liverpool will probably want to sign him for a more reasonable price.

The 21-year-old is naturally a central midfielder who can operate in a more defensive role as well as a box-to-box midfielder. He will add creativity, control, drive and tactical intelligence to the Liverpool midfield.

It is no secret that Liverpool need more depth in that area, and it will be interesting to see if they can get the deal done.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid are hoping to secure a contract extension with the talented young midfielder so that they can hold onto him for the long term. It will be interesting to see if the player is ready to commit his future to the club despite interest from the Premier League.

The opportunity to move to England can be quite attractive for most players and Liverpool are one of the biggest clubs in the country. They could provide Barrios with the opportunity to compete at a high level and push for trophies regularly.

There is no doubt that it would be an exciting move for the young midfielder, but the two clubs will have to work out an agreement first.