Barcelona interested in Liverpool defender Agger

British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that Barcelona is interested in Liverpool central defender and Danish international Daniel Agger (24).

Senior sources at the club are said to have confirmed to the tabloid that Barcelona wants to sign the defender at the end of the season.

Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola would have monitored Agger's recent return to Liverpool's starting line-up and has been impressed with his ability to bring the ball out of defence and set up attacks. The coach feels there is room for improvement at the back and would have made Agger his top summer target.

Agger, whose contract with Liverpool expires in 2010, wouldn’t be in a hurry to commit himself and is being believed to have indicated to friends that he will delay any decision until the summer, when he will weigh up a variety of options. Renewal talks with Liverpool would have stalled over the player's salary demands, while Agger has also showed his disappointment about not always being a fixed starter.

AC Milan would prepare a summer bid for the defender. British tabloid The Daily Telegraph claims that Italian clubs Inter Milan and Juventus are believed to be monitoring the events surrounding the Danish centre back and that Agger would now be valued around 17 million euro°.

Asked about the renewal talks, Agger said to journalists last weekend that he doesn't yet know where he will play next year: "It is nice to hear the manager wants to keep me, but the most important thing is what he tells me when I look him in the eyes. It's not what he says in the paper, it is what he says behind closed doors. I keep talks with the club confidential, so I cannot tell you what has been said.

I am at the stage of my career where I need to play, and want to play, but that situation has nothing to do with the contract talks. I don't know when things will be decided. I don't have a clue. In my heart, I hope I will be here next season. But, really, I don't know.

I know there have been some reports in Denmark that my agent has spoken to clubs in Italy, but they were wrong. Sometimes I can laugh at the speculation and sometimes it's just annoying. But you can't do anything about it. To be straight I have confidence in myself, I am a confident player. I know what I can do. I will look on these contract talks with positive eyes and see what happens."

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Watch a video of Agger here: