Liverpool “wants to bid hard” to sign Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde this summer, according to Defensa Central.

The Spanish website reports that the Uruguayan international is one of the Reds’ main transfer targets, with manager Jurgen Klopp said to be very keen on the player.

Valverde has started only 14 league matches this season under manager Carlo Ancelotti, and the midfielder has been linked with moves away from the Bernabeu.

Defensa Central claim that Liverpool are “willing” to bid around €80m (£67m) for the 23-year-old, but even that is not expected to be enough for Real to sell him.

The La Liga club are keen on keeping Valverde, as they feel he still has a long-term future with the club. The likes of Luka Modric are not getting any younger and the Uruguayan is being lined up as a potential successor.

With the player having a €1bn release clause, it’s probably safe to say that Valverde won’t be moving to Anfield anytime soon