Liverpool legend John Barnes has urged the Reds to consider a move for Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane.

The World Cup-winning Frenchman has entered the final 18 months of his Blancos contract, and a fee of £61m could reportedly be enough for Madrid to part ways with their crucial defender given the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Manchester United are also believed to be keen on a deal, but Liverpool's defensive injury crisis has progressively gone from bad to worse, and Barnes has urged his former club to beat their bitter rivals to his signature this summer.

Speaking to Bonus Code Bets, Barnes said: "Varane would be a fantastic signing for Liverpool. He's quick, he's a good defender and great on the ball so he would suit the way that Liverpool play and for Liverpool to sign him would be a fantastic piece of business.

"He would strengthen any team in the Premier League but if he is leaving Real Madrid then there will be a lot of teams interested and a lot of competition to sign him."

Varane has made 24 La Liga starts for Zinedine Zidane's side this term and has two goals to boot.