Lille striker back on the LFC radar

It has today become clear that the former owner of Liverpool, has not won the legal battle to seek damages over the sale of the Premier League team in the USA.

Any claim for damages will, as it stands, still have to be carried out through the British courts system.

One of the hottest January transfer targets is back on the radar....

It appears Liverpool are lining up a £10m move for Lille attacker Gervinho this summer.

The Ivorian has 18 months to run on his contract, and Lille feel now is the right time to cash in on their 23-year-old star, TalkSport claims.

Liverpool director of football strategy Damien Comolli made a personal trip to France at the weekend, with his sights set on an Ivorian striker.

Comolli attended the Toulouse v Lille match in Ligue 1, with reports in the French media claiming the Liverpool chief was monitoring the striker.
 
A source close to Gervinho has confirmed Liverpool interest:

- He has been watched and there is interest from Liverpool. We will have to wait until the summer to see what happens.

A host of Premier League clubs including Tottenham and Newcastle are also thought to be in the market for Gervinho.

Gervinho has also been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates in the past, with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger reportedly considering a move for the player in the summer.

Dalglish is keen to continue strengthening in several core positions at Anfield, and despite spending big money on two forwards is thought to be in the market again for another striker.

Another name that has been mentioned before is Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng. He has now emerged as a summer transfer targets according to reports in both the Italian and English press, according to Kickoff.com.

Reports say Liverpool have made an informal offer for the 23-year-old midfielder with a view to a £12.5million transfer.

But any deal to take the Ghanaian to Anfield will be complicated. Boateng is jointly-owned by Genoa and Milan and the Milan giants are not keen on selling him.

It was current Liverpool Director of Football Damien Comoli, who instigated the deal that took Boateng to Tottenham Hotspur from Hertha Berlin.

Boateng spent two frustrating seasons at White Hart Lane before moving on to Portsmouth.

Talksport claims Tottenham and Liverpool have been put on red alert after Wolfsburg revealed they are willing to sell highly-rated Danish defender Simon Kjær in the summer.

The 21-year-old has received rave reviews for his performances in the Bundesliga this season and has earned 15 caps for Denmark.

Reports in the German press claim Liverpool had a bid turned down by Wolfsburg in the January transfer window, but the Reds and Spurs are still monitoring the £10m-rated centre-back.

It is thought that Steve McClaren's old club will use the money to try to sign Werder Bremen defender Per Mertesacker as a replacement.

And it might happen, like the TransferTavern claims that Martin Skrtel might be on his way out.

Liverpool still in Suarez negotiations?

It looks as if Liverpool this transfer window have to let go of three offensive players:

Nathan Eccleston who now is on loan at Charlton Athletic, David Amoo who has joined MK Dons on loan and Ryan Babel who has ended up in Hoffenheim, sold for about £6m.

If Milan Jovanovic also disappears from Anfield during the month, Liverpool may end up with a strike force who consists of just Fernando Torres, David N’gog and Spanish youngster Dani Pacheco, with the option of using Dirk Kuyt up top if needed.

And, speaking of Jovanovic...

According to Goal.com German side Wolfsburg are believed to have put forward an offer of €7 million to acquire his services.

The 29-year-old put in impressive performances for Standard Liege and moved to Merseyside on a free transfer, but has since been unable to replicate his form for the Reds.

The former Lokomotiv Moscow man has in the past expressed a desire to trudge on and fight for a regular spot in the club's starting line-up, but his agent has admitted that he could be on his way out.

In desember he pledged his future to Liverpool and promised to stay and fight for a place in the Liverpool team.

Anyway, it seems inevitable Liverpool is going to need strengthening the Anfield striking force. It is going to be a test of the ambitions John W. Henry and NESV.

However, Ajax seems to stand firm over the Luis Suarez situation.

It has gone very quiet, but rumours surfacing on the net today is saying the striker might hand in a transfer request, that Damien Comolli still is in Amsterdam, and that negotiations are still ongoing.

Some has even suggested that Dirk Kuyt might be wanted to go the other way, back to Holland and Ajax.

Also De Telegraaf today say Liverpool has not given up the transfer, still having hopes for a deal to be struck.

A transfer that might go through in the summer is for Lille attacker Gervinho.

Now it has emerged that the €14 million-rated forward has attracted the interest of Liverpool – along with Lille teammate Eden Hazard – but any move will be postponed until the summer in order not to disrupt the French club.

Speaking on French television show Les Specialistes, Liverpool director of football strategy Damien Comolli said: - We want a forward because we lack pace and penetration on the flanks, he said GiveMeFootball report.

- Gervinho and Hazard are super players but I know the Lille board well and they won't sell in January.

However, Liverpool are still reportedly amongst the frontrunners for Gervinho when he becomes available, although he has stated his intention to remain with Lille for the short-term at least.

Elsewhere, it looks like Liverpool January target Mark van Bommel has left Bayern Munich to join AC Milan.

The 33-year-old had been linked with a move to Liverpool but has opted to move to Italy and sign for the Serie A giants, Talksport report.

Bayern agreed to terminate van Bommel’s contract six months early to allow the tough-tackling midfielder to make the move.

Striker back on the radar

It seems Manchester United will try to test Liverpool's resolve over Pepe Reina with a bid for the goalkeeper in January, or at least so the Metro report.

On the other hand Roy Hodgson has again stated that he does not want any of his first team players to leave, and that he only wants to buy "first team material", in the January tranfer window...

And what seems apparent is that Liverpool looks set to capture a new forward in January...

Again it has been revealed that Ivory Coast forward Gervinho could be making the trip from Lille to Merseyside for as little as €12.5m (£10.7m) before the window closes.

IMScouting relayed the news, explaining that Lille had originally demanded around €15 million (£12.8 million) for their star striker.

However, the clubs have fostered a good working relationship over the last few years and Lille have allegedly lowered their asking price in a friendly deal, Metro reports.

The Ivorian international has been on top form and has so far scored no fewer than seven goals in Ligue 1 this season.

If predictions come true, it could bolster Liverpool's steadily-building league campaign and perhaps help close the gap with Chelsea, where Gervinho's fellow Ivorian Didier Drogba plays.

In the spirit of NESVs stated desire to bring in young talent to Liverpool, it looks as though Roy Hodgson is ready to battle with his old club Fulham for Crystal Palace’s exciting young striker Wilfried Zaha, according to The Mirror.

Kop chief Hodgson wants to take the young Eagle as part of the club’s long-term planning - with Kenny Dalglish also involved in the recruitment of top talent for the future.

Zaha has been a hit for Palace since making his breakthrough this season and Liverpool want to snap him up after landing other prospects like Jonjo Shelvey and Raheem Sterling this year.

Hodgson’s spies have been checking on Zaha, who will ironically face his team in the FA Cup, while other calls have been made to register their interest.

However Hodgson’s old employers at Fulham are also on the hunt for Zaha, who may be sold by George Burley’s club if they need to raise funds to bring in new faces to beat the drop.

Palace would want around £2 million for Ivory Coast-born starlet Zaha, who is still just 18. But in their ideal world he would be left with them for the season.

Liverpool are reportedly considering a move to bring Hatem Ben Arfa to Anfield and will attempt to beat Newcastle United to sealing the French winger on a permanent deal.

The 23 year old is currently on loan at St James’ Park but is sidelined with a long term injury after breaking his leg against Manchester City early in the season and Roy Hodgson is hoping to pip the Magpies to securing a deal to bring the Marseille man to Anfield in the summer, Caughtoffside reports.

Alan Pardew’s side are hoping to seal a £5m deal to bring the French international to the club on a permanent deal but Liverpool may hope to be able to persuade the speedy winger to move to Merseyside but clearly any hope of doing so would depend very much on what kind of finish Hodgson can get out of his team.

A reported Liverpool transfer target is German defender Robert Huth. He now says he plans to snub Liverpool and commit his future to Stoke.

Reds boss Roy Hodgson is keen to land the stopper to beef up his backline and is willing to pay £5million.

But the German is happy at the Britannia Stadium and wants to remain a Potter, we can read in The Mirror.

He said: “I had some texts telling me about the story. It doesn’t bother me because it’s great here at Stoke for me.’’

Elsewhere the agent of Udinese midfielder Gokhan Inler cannot rule out a move away in January.

Inler has repeatedly been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.

"Gokhan will certainly change club in June, but it is not out of the question that it could happen in January,” confessed agent Dino Lamberti, TribalFootball writes.

“The lad has many offers from Spain and England, but would prefer to stay in Italy.”