Liverpool are odds-on to secure a club-record deal for Thomas Lemar, but Barcelona have also been well-backed for the Monaco star today.
The Ligue 1 side are reluctant to sell but their purchase of Lazio winger Keita Balde on Tuesday raised hopes they may be preparing for his departure.
Liverpool are now 10/11 to get the deal done before Thursday night's deadline, but Sky Bet reported strong support for Barcelona - who have been frustrated in their efforts to sign Philippe Coutinho from the Reds. A string of bets early on Wednesday afternoon saw Barca cut to 5/1, but it didn't stop the flow of cash and it's now 3/1 for Lemar to head to Camp Nou.
It would likely take a fee in excess of £70million for Monaco to cash in on the highly-rated 21-year-old.
Wantaway Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk is also a player Liverpool would be keen to sign should Saints decide to cut their losses on a defender who has yet to play for them this season after insisting he wants to leave.
But having had to publicly withdraw their interest earlier in the summer after allegations of an illegal approach, the Reds would need some encouragement from the south-coast club to make a world-record offer for a defender. It's 8/13 for Liverpool to get that deal over the line.
