Julian Brandt ready to commit to Bayer Leverkusen amid Barcelona and Liverpool links

Julian Brandt is open to committing his future to Bayer Leverkusen despite being linked with the likes of Barcelona, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

The 21-year-old winger is regarded as one of Germany's most exciting talents, already boasting 13 caps for the national team, while his performances this season have contributed to his side currently sitting in second in the Bundesliga following last season's disappointing 12th-place finish.

Brandt's rise through the ranks have seen him linked with a number of clubs, with Liverpool said to have offered £20m ($28m) for his services last summer, only for the player to reject a move.

Bayern Munich have held a long-term interest in the German as well, while Barcelona were also reported to be considering him as recently as October of last year.

Brandt had said at the time that the latter's interest was an "honour" for him. "This is an honour in any case, I will not deny that now. Of course, this is always a sign that your achievements were not for nothing.

"And like I said, of course, it reflects your performance on the pitch, but you have to block out something like that in the end. If you always float on a cloud and say, 'I'm such a cool guy, because this club wants to have me', this is the wrong way, because then you drop with your achievements."

However, despite a move to a bigger club in the summer seemingly being on the horizon, Brandt is looking to extend his current deal at the BayArena.

"It's [a new contract] all possible," Brandt told Kicker via FourFourTwo. "The fact is that I feel comfortable here, I really enjoy playing in this team. But in the future, nothing has yet been decided.

"No question, we are on a great path. What the coach [Heiko Herrlich] says, how we play, the squad, it's all there and that's a great foundation."

A new deal for the Bremen native would come as a blow for his suitors as it would likely result in an increase in Brandt's €12.5m (£11m, $15.5m) release clause, which is reportedly set to come into effect this summer.