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Barcelona and Liverpool are set to go up against each other in the semi-final of the Champions League later this week.
The Blaugrana have been crowned as the LaLiga champions recently and they have also performed well in the Champions League so far. The Catalan club comfortably defeated Manchester United 4-0 on aggregate in the quarterfinals of the competition.
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, on the other hand, are going neck to neck against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City for the English crown. They are just one point adrift to the Cityzens. The Reds thrashed FC Porto 6-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the UCL to secure their place in the semi-finals of the tournament for the second successive season.
With that in mind, here is the list of three Liverpool players Barcelona wished to have in their squad.
#3 Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold has grown remarkably as a player in the last few seasons and has established himself as one of the best young right-backs in the world.
The Englishman is an attacking full-back, who likes to advance forward at every opportunity and he assisted nine goals thus far this campaign. The Melwood graduate also improved the defensive side of his game under Klopp this season and has helped the Reds' in maintaining the best defensive record in the league.
The 20-year-old has been recently rewarded with the inclusion in the PFA Team of the Year for his exploits this season and he is also among the leading candidates to win the Liverpool Young Player of the Season accolade for the third consecutive year.
#2 Fabinho
Sergio Busquets has played a massive role in Barcelona's success in recent years and has won eight LaLiga titles the Blaugrana thus far. However, at 30, he is on a decline now and has failed to reach his best this campaign.
Liverpool midfielder, Fabinho has established himself as the important part of Klopp's team after a slow start at the club and has been among the Reds' top performers in the recent months.
The Brazil international mostly plays as a destroyer in Liverpool's three-man midfield and he has done a great job so far in that role. He won 54 tackles thus far this season, along with making 25 interceptions and completing 22 clearances.
The 25-year-old also controls the game from the middle of the park for the Reds and has completed 1240 passes with a passing accuracy of 85.2 percent this campaign.
#1 Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk is among the best defenders in the world at the moment and is the player every team would wish to have in their squad.
The Dutch international single-handedly transformed Liverpool's shaky defence into one of the best in the EPL and the Reds conceded just 20 goals in 36 league games this season.
His strength in the air and ability to read the game is exceptional, while also being very comfortable with the ball at his feet. He always keeps his calm during the crucial moments and does not rush into tackles, making him difficult to beat on 1v1 situations. Also to mention, no player has managed to get past him on 1v1 situations this season.
The 27-year-old's heroics this campaign has been awarded with the PFA Player of the Season accolade and he is also among the serious contenders to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or award.
