Liverpool and Monaco are reportedly battling it out for the signature of Newcastle United midfielder Moussa Sissoko.
According to French source L’Equipe, cash-rich Ligue 1 heavyweights Monaco have made the 24-year-old one of their top targets for the summer transfer window.
However, the report reveals that last season’s Premier League runners-up Liverpool are equally keen to land him in the coming weeks and are ready to fight fellow suitors in a bidding war.
The Magpies are in a strong position to hold out for a significant sum of money because Sissoko has another five years remaining on his current contract at St James’s Park.
The race to secure his services is likely to heat up following France’s exit from the World Cup at the quarter-final stage, following a 1-0 defeat to Germany on Friday.
Monaco are said to have already made contact with his representatives but, with the player set to return to England, Liverpool are likely to follow in their footsteps.
The Reds’ transfer budget will increase if the proposed sale of talisman Luis Suarez to Barcelona goes through, handing them the necessary funds to compete with the deep pockets of Monaco.
Sissoko was an ever-present for Newcastle last term, making 38 appearances for Alan Pardew’s side.