Rumour: Liverpool and Manchester United to battle it out for £17m-rated Spain star in January

21-year old Koke has become hot property in Europe

English rivals Liverpool and Manchester United are set to go head-to-head in a battle to sign Spanish midfielder Koke from Atletico Madrid, reports the Daily Mirror. The young midfielder has become a highly coveted player after his displays for Diego Simeone’s Atletico side who are currently second in La Liga.

The spanner in the works though, could well be Spanish champions Barcelona, as the Catalan giants are also keen on the midfielder.

New Barca boss Tata Martino has reportedly already sized up the 21-year-old to replace veteran playmaker Xavi in the heart of Barca’s midfield.

Koke though, has a contract at the Vicente Calderon that runs until June 30, 2018 and any club that wants to land the youngster will have to move to activate the player’s release clause, which is estimated to be in the region of £17 million.

Koke has 2 goals and 7 assists from 12 starts in La Liga this season for Atletico Madrid.