Right back has played just one match for Barca all campaign long.
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Liverpool have emerged as the surprise favourites to land coveted FC Barcelona defender Martin Montoya when his contract at Camp Nou runs out at the end of this season, according to reports in the Daily Mirror.
The former Spain Under-23 international has been with the Spanish champions for his whole career to date, with Montoya making his debut for Barca back in the 2010-11 campaign under previous head coach Pep Guardiola.
However, despite managing to feature in 24 matches in total in all competitions for the Liga giants in the previous season, scoring one goal in the process under the then management of Tito Villanova, Montoya has once again fallen out of favour in this campaign following the arrival in Catalonia of new Barcelona boss Gerard Martino.
But with the 22-year-old’s current contract with the Catalans now set to expire on June 30 2014, the attacking right back is able to start negotiating with foreign clubs as soon as the winter transfer window finally opens again for business for the year again in January.
And according to German sports daily Bild, it is Brendan Rodgers’s side who have reportedly stolen a march on the likes of Bundesliga champions and Uefa Champions League holders Bayern Munich, as well as fellow German outfit Bayer Leverkusen, in the race to land Montoya, with the publication claiming that the Merseyside giants were now “ahead of the pack” in their efforts to bring the Spaniard to Anfield next summer.