Martin Montoya Set To Snub Liverpool and Re-Sign With Barcelona

Liverpool look set to lose out in their ongoing pursuit of Martin Montoya with the Spaniard planning to pen a new deal with Barcelona, reports claim.

Montoya made the move from Barcelona's youth academy into the senior side in 2011 but as his contract winds down, entering into it's final six months, the 22 year old stalled on talks with his current side as he fielded interest from clubs across Europe.

Liverpool are reportedly one of these sides and though Montoya's agent said that the player would consider all of his options this month the Mirror are now claiming that he has decided to renew with the Catalan giants and snub the possibility of a move to the Premier League.

With the Reds' defensive line-up struggling at the turn of the year Rodgers would have welcomed the signing of Montoya to provide him with more options at the back. Training with Barcelona's youth academy makes the young star particularly attractive and clubs in Italy are also believed to be monitoring his situation.

But Rodgers faces a tough wait now over whether Montoya will make a u-turn on his decision not to stay at Barcelona and commit to the club for the long term.

Montoya has managed to appear for the La Liga title holders just 12 times this season and along with the promise of game time he may be looking for improved terms when discussing the possibility of staying longer than the summer.

But one thing Barcelona can definitely promise the Spain Under 23 international is a serious challenge for trophies both in La Liga and across Europe. Liverpool are hoping to qualify for the Champions League this season but currently boast no European football amongst their fixture list and have had trouble attracting talent over the last few years due to their failure to participate in the top-tier tournament.