Liverpool transfer news: Reds 'make formal offer' for former Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen

Vermaelen is struggling for form and fitness at Barcelona and could be offered the chance to return to the Premier League

Thomas Vermaelen has only made 11 La Liga appearances in two years (Getty)

Liverpool are reported to have made a formal offer to Barcelona in an attempt to sign former Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.

Vermaelen departed the Premier League in 2014 after lifting the FA Cup with the Gunners, who managed to collect £15m form his sale despite the Belgium international struggling horrendously with injury.

Unfortunately for Vermaelen, those injury troubles have followed him to Catalonia and he has made just 11 La Liga appearances in two years, having missed nearly the entire 2014/15 season before making his debut in the final league game of Barcelona’s title-winning campaign.

Having made a further 10 appearances this season, Vermaelen has seen Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano, Marc Bartra and Jeremy Pathieu share defensive duties and the Belgian looks out of head coach Luis Enrique’s plans for the future – having not made an appearance since the 6-0 victory over Getafe in March.

According to Barcelona-based newspaper Sport, Liverpool have attempted to fend off any other competition for Vermaelen with an early offer that would result in the 30-year-old moving back to the Premier League at the end of the season.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had already marked out his defence as an area of concern before centre-back Mamadou Sakho failed a drug test for allegedly taking a fat-burning substance, and he is likely to move for at least two defenders in the upcoming transfer window. Martin Skrtel is expected to leave the Merseyside club after falling out of favour, although Dejan Lovren, Kolo Toure and Sakho are expected to remain – the latter dependent on any possible ban that comes from a Uefa hearing expected to take place in Friday.

Liverpool have made 'a formal offer' for Barcelona's Thomas Vermaelen (Getty)

Vermaelen would be returning to familiar territory in the form of the Premier League, having spent five years at the Emirates that saw him take on the captain’s armband when Cesc Fabregas left – also for Barcelona – in 2011.