BARCELONA are the latest continental side to be taking an interest in Liverpool defender Daniel Agger's failure to sign a new contract at Anfield. (Telegraph)Both AC Milan and Juventus are also believed to be monitoring proceedings as the Dane resists repeated attempts by the Liverpool hierarchy to tie him down.

BARCELONA are the latest continental side to be taking an interest in Liverpool defender Daniel Agger's failure to sign a new contract at Anfield. (Telegraph)

Both AC Milan and Juventus are also believed to be monitoring proceedings as the Dane resists repeated attempts by the Liverpool hierarchy to tie him down.

Agger has little more than a year left to run on his current deal and the possibility of signing the defender for a reduced fee as Liverpool seek to avoid him leaving for nothing next year has alerted the top European sides.

Barcelona, according to reports in the Mirror, had scouts at Liverpool's home Premier League match against Blackburn, in which Agger scored in a comfortable 4-0 victory.

Liverpool are prepared to up his wages to around �55,000-a-week, but the player has long insisted that his reluctance to sign owes more to concerns over his role in the team than financial issues.

Manager Rafa Benitez has spoken publicly of his desire to hold on to Agger and insists that the Danish international is an important part of his plans for Liverpool's future.

However, Agger wants to see such words followed up with clear actions before he is willing to commit to the club long term.

“It is nice to hear that the manager wants to keep me, but the most important thing is what he tells me when I look him in the eyes,” said Agger.

“It's not what he says in the papers, it is what he says behind closed doors that matters. I keep talks with the club confidential so I cannot tell you what has been said.”