Five players on the radar

On a day where John W. Henry has talked about more formal involvement for Liverpool fans, and the appointment of new Director of Football Strategy, Damien Comolli, the transfer rumour mill continues running warm.

The first name turning up is CSKA Moscow’s Brazilian striker Vagner Love.

According to Footylatest it is reported that Roy Hodgson is seriously considering making a bid in January for the player who has only recently returned to the Russian outfit.

Love was loaned out to Brazilian outfit Palmeiras and then on to Flamengo but it never quite worked out thus the return to Russia and it has been reported that the 26 year old is no longer happy back in Moscow, a fact that has apparently alerted Hodgson who wants to bring the Brazilian to Anfield.

No fee has been mentioned and Love’s value has certainly dropped and Liverpool would probably see change out of £10 Million.

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Meanwhile the Ibrahim Afellay rumour keeps coming back.

The Daily Mirror is according to Sport.co.uk reporting that Hodgson is weighing up a double move for both Afellay and Ola Toivonen. 

The paper suggests Hodgson saw Afellay and Swedish international Toivonen in action against FC Twente at the weekend and was sufficiently impressed to now want to bring the pair to Anfield in January.

Afellay is likely to be available for a nominal fee given his contract situation, but there is strong interest in the attacking midfielder, and the Mirror suggests Liverpool will face stern opposition from a host of top clubs around Europe, most notably from Arsenal and Manchester United.
 
Toivonen also caught Hodgson’s eye during the Eredivisie game and the aforementioned newspaper claim Liverpool will propose an ambitious deal to bring the attacking duo to Anfield at the turn of the year.

Sport.co.uk also reports that a chase for Palermo sensation Javier Pastore is hotting up amid reports Barcelona will make a £35 million bid for the Argentine international in January. 

The prodigious playmaker has been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League with Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool all tracking the 21-year-old. 

Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign the player as a teenager but were rebuffed due to work permit issues, but the player reportedly favours a move to Spain. 

Finaly a Brazilian "wing wizard" apparently is getting Hodgsons interest.

Both Liverpool and Manchester City is to be in a race to sign Renato Augusto from Bayer Leverkusen.

Rafa Benitez was heavily linked with a move for the player in January 2009, and Augusto has continued to produce solid performances at the BayArena. 

Manchester City are now thought to be interested in the player, with German paper Express reporting that the Citizens are willing to spend in the region of €20 million for the player, GiveMeFootball reports.