Liverpool have been linked with a move for Jamal Musiala and now a new update has emerged that could make the club's pursuit of the player more difficult.
What's the latest?
According to German news outlet BILD, Bayern Munich want to extend Musiala's contract following his impressive performances at the World Cup for Germany.
As per the report, the talented midfielder is quickly becoming a fan favourite for the Bundesliga giants and with Liverpool showing interest in the player, the club are now keen to tie down Musiala's future to avoid losing his services in their squad.
It's bad news for Klopp
There is no doubt that it is bad news for Jurgen Klopp that Bayern are keen to extend Musiala's contract as the manager will be desperate to secure his midfield of the future over the next two transfer windows to get Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League.
Liverpool are currently sixth in the top flight after a run of poor performances over their first 14 league outings, and it is no secret that the midfield is in need of a refresh with many players coming to the last six months of their contracts whilst others are coming to the final years of their career.
Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner will be out of contract at the end of the season and Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are both well into their 30s at this point, so there is a huge opportunity to transform the centre of the pitch at Anfield.
As a result, the signing of the 19-year-old wonderkid would have been a major coup for the Reds in their pursuit to develop the future of the team, with Musiala proving at the World Cup exactly why Liverpool are keen and Bayern Munich want to extend his contract.
Over three World Cup appearances, Musiala registered one assist, created one big chance and completed 100% of his crosses, as well as averaging 2.7 key passes, four shots on goal, 6.3 successful dribbles and nine duels won per game.
The youngster has been the recipient of high praise for his performances in Qatar, with the 1990 Ballon d’Or winner and former Germany captain Lothar Matthaus hailing Musiala "clever" following the 1-1 draw with Spain:
“He can be the Messi of the future,”
“He is excellent. I have loved him for the last two years; I love his style of football and his personality. He is 19 years old and doing the things that will make him a top footballer.
“He’s clever with his thinking, has great passing, and he loves football. Musiala can be the next Messi."
With that being said, the powers at Anfield should not let Bayern Munich's attempt to extend Musiala's contract put them off their pursuit of the player as he could make a huge difference at Liverpool if they can secure his signature.