Liverpool out to beat Chelsea to the signature of this defender

Barely a few days to the start of the winter transfer window in January, there are bound to be different transfer rumours.

And one of them is a report that claimed Liverpool have reportedly stepped up their interest in signing Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, who is also a key target for Chelsea.

Araujo has been impressive for Barcelona this season, having made 18 appearances across all competitions.

Since former Barcelona star Xavi replaced Ronald Koeman as the coach of the Catalan side, Araujo has emerged as one of his first-choice centre-backs.

The Uruguay International current contract with the Catalans will not end until 2023, but he has attracted significant interest from Chelsea.

However, El Nacional claimed that the Reds have stepped up their bid to lure the 22-year-old to Anfield.

The report added that Araujo is reluctant to sign a contract renewal with Barcelona owing to their financial situation as they are unable to offer lucrative deals at this period.

Barcelona reportedly values the player at around £38million, and it appears Liverpool are ready to meet the demands and are also ready to offer Araujo improved terms.

There are no details on what Chelsea plans to do.