Liverpool are in desperate need of reinforcements in their midfield after suffering their worst Premier League start in a decade and now a potential transfer target has been revealed.

What's the latest?

According to reports coming out of Spain, Liverpool are in the race to sign Barcelona and Netherlands star Frenkie de Jong, having made him one of their 'new targets.'

As per the report, the midfielder possesses the profile that Jurgen Klopp likes in his team and will compete for his signature if the player is available to sign.

It is claimed that the La Liga giants are keen to sell De Jong in order to free up their huge wage bill and would listen to offers of around €80m (£69m).

Klopp needs him badly

There is no doubt that Liverpool are in a position that needs to be improved as they are currently 6th in the top flight ahead of the World Cup break following an inconsistent run of performances.

One of the key areas of concern in the team is the lack of reinvestment in the centre of the pitch and as time goes on it has become an increasing matter of urgency for the powers at Anfield to bring in midfielders who can make a positive impact.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are three Liverpool midfielders who - as it stands - will be out of contract in June 2023, whilst captain Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are coming to the latter stages of their careers.

As a result, the signing of De Jong would be a major coup for the club as Klopp desperately needs young and hungry high-quality talent in the team to get them back where they belong competing at the highest level in the Premier League.

The £630k-per-week talent ranks in the top 15% of his positional peers across Europe for pass completion, non-penalty goals, dribbles completed, touches and shot-creating actions, proving that he is one of the hottest midfield prospects in Europe right now.

De Jong has played a starring role in Qatar at the World Cup for the Netherlands and has continued to show glimpses of his capabilities in his performances.

Over two appearances so far, the 25-year-old - who was hailed "extraordinary" by Xavi - has registered one assist and tallied up an 89% pass completion rate, as well as averaging one key pass, 4.5 tackles, one clearance and a whopping nine duels won per game.

With that being said, the recruitment team and Liverpool manager will surely be watching De Jong's progress during the World Cup and if they could capture the midfielder's services he could become a hugely valuable asset at Anfield.