Liverpool 'hold talks' with Barcelona defender Aleix Vidal's representatives

Liverpool are one of a number of Premier League clubs who have reportedly entered discussions with the representatives of Barcelona full-back Aleix Vidal over a potential transfer.

Vidal joined the Spanish league leaders from Sevilla in the summer of 2015 but had to wait six months to make his debut for the Blaugrana, who signed him while they were serving a player registration ban.

The 28-year-old is said to have eyes on a return to Almeria, the club who allowed him to flourish after he spent the embryonic stages of his career failing to make an impression at a number of Spanish clubs. But Estadio Deportivo report that the right-back-cum-right-winger's representatives have travelled to the north west of England to negotiate with clubs from Liverpool and Manchester. Barcelona are willing to sell Vidal for €10m (£8.8m), but no offers have been made so far.

With Nathaniel Clyne out indefinitely with a back problem and Jon Flanagan recently sentenced to community service after pleading guilty to assaulting his girlfriend, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has had to rely on the young pair of Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold to fill in at right-back this season.

It remains to be seen if anything comes of Liverpool's reported interest in the Spaniard but it would be no surprise to see Klopp search for a new right-back in the coming weeks, though the German is prepared to hold on to the funds garnered from the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in the summer.

The proposed arrival of Vidal, who has only managed to make three league starts under Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde this season, would provide the Reds with an experienced option for the right side of their defence, which has recently been strengthened by the £75m arrival of Virgil van Dijk and the development of Andrew Robertson, who took a while to find his feet at Liverpool following his move from Hull City.

Barcelona are willing to listen to offers for a number of their fringe players this month and are seemingly well equipped to cope without Vidal, who is currently behind Nelson Semedo and Sergi Roberto in the pecking order for the right-back berth under Valverde.