Manchester City join Liverpool and Barcelona in chase for Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka

Manchester City are the latest club to be credited with an interest in signing Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka in the summer but will face stern competition from the likes of Barcelona, Liverpool and Tottenham for the Germany international's services.

Goretzka looks increasingly likely to leave Schalke when his contract expires at the end of the current campaign and reportedly has designs on a switch to the Camp Nou, with Barca hoping to clinch him on a free transfer in the summer.

Barcelona are said to be willing to pay Schalke a fee believed to be around £13.2m in January to ensure that Goretzka arrives in Catalonia at the end of the season, but Manchester City and Liverpool are not willing to let Ernesto Valverde's men have a free pass at the 22-year-old.

With Fernandinho ageing, Ilkay Gundogan injury-prone and Yaya Toure set to leave Manchester City at the end of the campaign, Pep Guardiola's side are apparently interested in signing Goretzka and give themselves another seemingly much-needed option for the centre of their midfield, according to The Mirror.

City have also been linked with Liverpool contract rebel Emre Can in recent weeks, with the midfielder increasingly likely to leave Anfield at the end of the season after failing to agree a new deal at Anfield.

Can's prospective departure has led Liverpool to track Goretzka, who is also on Juventus' radar, while Tottenham have also been linked with Schalke's prized asset amid concerns over the future of Mousa Dembele, who has endured a number of fitness problems in recent months.

City boss Guardiola would have had the opportunity to watch Goretzka closely during his time as manager of Bayern Munich and is said to be impressed by the midfielder's ability to play in a number of different positions, but the former Barcelona boss may lose out on the German's signature to his former side, though their Premier League rivals Liverpool are still hopeful of convincing Goretzka to come to England and are prepared to offer him a rather lucrative financial package in an attempt to change his mind.