Eight potential summer signings?

While Kenny Dalglish is turning the ship on the pitch for Liverpool, there is continious speculations to which players that will be brought in to Anfield this summer.

Liverpool's principal owner John Henry is focused on ending Liverpool FC's league title drought.

He admits Kenny Dalglish's transformation of their on-field fortunes is exactly what he hoped for when he chose to appoint the Scot as manager, GiveMefootball reports.

The future will tell us whether he will become the permanent one.

But even though Liverpool have signed two strikers in January, they are still believed to be interested in Anderlecht striker Romelu Lukaku, the Bleacher Report claims.

Liverpool are facing competition from Chelsea in the signing, another team who seem to have no dearth of strikers with Drogba, Anelka and Torres already in the squad and Sturridge on loan to Bolton. 

Further on they also claim Mateo Musacchio has emerged as the top target for the center back position. The young Argentine has become a regular starter at Villareal after moving to the team from River Plate in 2009.

He has caught the fancy of a lot of top clubs across Europe with a string of fine performances. With his long-term contract at Villareal, the club officially says that the player is not for sale. Comolli and Liverpool, though, believe that they could land the promising youngster for €4m.

If the deal for Musacchio does fall through, Liverpool are believed to be lining up hotly tipped January target Davide Santon, who is currently on loan at Cesena from Inter Milan.

With the need for replacing Carragher becoming more and more important as time passes, the signing of a center back would be a priority and either Musacchio or Santon would fit the billing.

The other targets mentioned in the Bleacher Report article is Eden Hazard, Fabio Coentrao, of course Charlie Adam and Ashley Young.

Young is today being mentioned in other reports too, like GiveMeFootball who say News of the World claims Liverpool will battle Manchester United and Manchester City at the end of the season in a race to land the player, with a €15 million valuation placed on his head.

25-year-old Young has made 11 appearances for England thus far, and has become a regular in the Three Lions squad under Fabio Capello.

The England international winger was heavily linked with an Anfield switch in the summer, although Liverpool never made an official approach for the player.

Aston Villa managed to keep hold of their prized asset, but Young only has 18 months left on his contract at Villa Park and after rejecting the club's latest offer appears unlikely to sign a new deal.

Liverpool have identified teenage playmaker Christian Eriksen as a potential summer signing after being impressed with the Ajax midfielders strong performances in Holland. 

Damien Comolli, director of football at Liverpool, spent close to a week in Amsterdam as he negotiated a deal for Uruguayan forward Suarez and was said to be impressed with Eriksen.

The Danish international is still just 18-years-of-age but has impressed with a number of mature performances for Ajax and has been tipped as a potential star of the future, Sportsvibe reports.


Liverpool seem to have adopted a new transfer policy under owners Fenways Sports Group as they attempt to identify young, talented players with big futures ahead of them.

Eriksen certainly fits the current model as Liverpool believe the midfielder, who has been compared with Dennis Bergkamp, has a bright future and may be available for around £10m.

Finaly, another new name appears on the radar, with Liverpool being linked with a move for young Valencia forward Paco Alcacer in the local Spanish press.

Valencia newspaper Superdeporte claims that the Reds have sent scouts to watch a number of Alcacer’s games, and though Real Madrid and Barcelona are also interested, a bid from Liverpool appears most likely.

One of the greatest legacies of the Rafa Benitez reign as Liverpool manager is his overhaul of the club’s academy.

The 17 year-old Alcacer made his first team debut for Valencia earlier this season, and has scored 15 goals in 13 games for Spain’s U17 side.

He now has 2 in 2 for the U18s, and could become part of the revolution on Merseyside, joining fellow Spaniards Suso, Dani Pacheco, Dani Ayala and Emmanuel Mendy.

However, his contract expires in 2013, and Liverpool are highly unlikely to pay his €10m release clause.

Luis Suarez deal imminent?

There is still no solution to the Ryan Babel situation. At the moment he is in talks with Hoffenheim, having passed the medical test.
But according to Fox Sports Babel favors a switch to Ajax.

However there are more clubs that would like to sign the dutchman. His agent has revealed that the Liverpool forward has six offers on the table from various clubs, including Hoffenheim.

According to Live4Liverpool there 'was a total of three German offers and three English clubs also wanted him'.

Luis Suarez is on the verge of moving to Liverpool, according to reports.

The Daily Mail claims that 'Reds owner John Henry met with the Ajax striker's agent in London on Tuesday night as talks accelerated over the proposed deal.

'Henry dined with agent Pere Guardiola - the brother of Barcelona boss Pep - as Liverpool move in on their No 1 January target.'

The deal is being described as 'imminent', with the Mail announcing 'Uruguay striker Suarez fancies a move to Merseyside as there are plenty of Spanish speakers in the Reds dressing room.'

The Dutch giants want around £27million for the player but he is expected to leave for a much lower figure.

And today's most positive surprise was the message from Liverpool chairman Tom Werner, insisting the club's owners are prepared to splash the cash if the right player becomes available in the transfer window.

Valuations of Suarez stretch from £18m to £25m and it remains to be seen whether Anfield's new owners are prepared to go that far.

But, asked if Liverpool still had the money to secure marquee signings like the £22m spent on Torres in 2007, Werner replied: 'Yes. Look at our history. We will be driven by value but we certainly have the resources to have some targets'.

Anderlecht president Herman van Holsbeeck has confirmed that Liverpool have enquired about their striker Romelu Lukaku, along with Chelsea and Tottenham.

- Our price will be around €30million [£25.2m]. We received one offer from an English club three days before the end of the August transfer period. It was €10m [£8.4m] immediately and €10m in one year. We would not accept the offer because we wanted to keep the player. I think he will go to the Premier League. For him the team is in England. We know that Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool are interested in him and that they follow the player, he said according to Live4Liverpool.

- There is some interest from Real Madrid but we know they are interested in every good young player. What for us is the right club? The Premier League clubs from the UK are the biggest clubs in the world with a lot of money.

Lukaku confirmed this week a move to Chelsea or another Premier League club would be his preferred destination:

A new name enters the transfer stage... According to GiveMeFootball Liverpool are facing stiff competition from Chelsea in the race to sign Chilean international Alexis Sanchez.

The Udinese star has been monitored by a string of top European clubs in recent seasons, with Liverpool one of those keen to bring the player to the Barclays Premier League.

Real Madrid, Lyon and Manchester United are also thought to be interested in signing the player, but Chelsea now appear to be leading the race for the 22-year-old, according to the Metro.
Udinese owner Giampaolo Pozzo has revealed that the Blues are in talks with the club over a move for the player, who has previously been dubbed 'the new Ronaldo'.

Sanchez has the ability to play on either flank, and the former River Plate loanee shot to prominence after braking into the Chilean national team as a teenager.

It's unknown if new Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has taken an interest in the player, but the Merseysiders are keen to add attacking flair to their outfit in the current transfer window.

Finaly, a more familiar face on radar - Keisuke Honda.

Sport.co.uk can confirm that meetings have been scheduled with a number of top European clubs next week at the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar with representatives from the Premier League trio of Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa expected in the Gulf state.

Liverpool are considered to the favourites to land Honda with Kenny Dalglish and Director of football Strategy Damien Comolli keen on the frontman, while Arsenal scouts and Aston Villa representatives are also present in Qatar with both club manager’s fans of the forward, although Arsene Wenger and Gerard Houllier could baulk at the price-tag of the forward.

AC Milan have also been tracking Honda since the World Cup last summer.

Transfer target in 'showdown talks'

On the day of the very important Everton derby it is claimed that 'super agent' Pini Zahavi has arrived at Anfield, to help overhaul the Liverpool squad.

Now Dalglish and Comolli are prepared to go hunting! And we are today being linked with a few very exciting names ...

Luis Suarez, the £20million-rated Ajax striker, has paved the way for a move to Liverpool, The Mirror reports.

Anfield boss Kenny ­Dalglish is meeting owner John W Henry over the weekend to finalise plans for the final fortnight of the transfer ­window.

And the scene is set for the Uruguay international to ­arrive as Ryan Babel heads out of Merseyside with clubs in England and Germany ­pursuing him.

Suarez shares the same agent as Fernando Torres and has asked him to find out if clubs are interested in ­signing him this month. Liverpool and Tottenham lead the chase, but the ­Spanish-speaking connection at ­Anfield could prove a ­critical attraction.

Read more: Suarez ready to move

The striker has had a meeting with coach Frank de Boer and they accept the moment has arrived for the South ­American to move on if the Amsterdam club get an acceptable offer.

De Boer explained:

- I’ve had a showdown with Luis.

- I wanted to know what his plans are and what the future will bring. Luis is training hard. He told me that if a big club comes in for him now he is ready to talk to them.

And De Boer admitted:

- I’ve a back-up scenario ready.

Clearly, the critical issue will revolve around how much the Anfield owners make available to Dalglish, but Babel looks certain to leave for around £8m.

Fulham and West Ham from the Premier League have declared their interest.

Today Times writer Jonathan Northcroft claims that Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is close to the first 'real' signing of his second spell in charge at Anfield, with Liverpool tabling a bid for Mark van Bommel.

The paper says Liverpool are close to tabling a bid for van Bommel that meets Bayern Munich’s valuation of their defensive midfielder.

Van Bommel, the Holland captain, has been told he can leave Bayern for any club willing to pay €3m (£2.53m) for his services. Liverpool have made such an offer, although they face competition from AC Milan, who have also bid €3m.

A number of other clubs are interested in the 33-year-old but only Liverpool and their Italian rivals have come forward with solid bids.

Van Bommel has long spoken of his desire to play in England, although the lure of AC Milan, who unlike Liverpool can offer Champions League football, is considerable.

 Van Bommel has wanted to leave Bayern since the German giants refused his request for a new two-year contract earlier this season. He has just six months left on his current deal, hence his low price tag.

Another much reported target is Belgian teenage sensation Romelu Lukaku.

His club, Anderlecht have slapped a £25.2 million price tag on the player, the club's general manager has revealed.

In an exclusive interview with Goal.com UK, Herman van Holsbeeck claimed the 'top 15 clubs in the world' are monitoring the 17-year-old striker, with the queue headed by Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Anderlect say Lukaku will not be sold this month but are resigned to losing him in the summer when he will have turned 18 and finished his schooling.

Van Holsbeeck said:

- If there is a team coming with €20m (£16.9m) we will keep him. He has a contract until 2013 but we have the option for two more years.

- Our price will be around €30m (£25.3m). If you ask for between €20m and €30m for a footballer in Europe there are a maximum of 15 teams who can pay this amount. These 15 teams are all interested in Romelu Lukaku but it depends sometimes on what resources the team has at the time. Everybody knows Romelu and everybody wants Romelu but some teams don’t need him at the moment.

Finaly, of today's most important transfer rumours, according to The Daily Express, Liverpool are trying to tempt Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier to part with England winger Stewart Downing.

Kenny Dalglish believes Downing, 26, would give his side much-needed width and pace.

Dalglish’s predecessor, Roy Hodgson, had also been eyeing Villa’s Ashley Young, 25, but it’s Downing who is on a shortlist of possible Kop signings during the transfer window.

Liverpool believe Downing would come cheaper than his Villa Park team-mate at around £10 million.

Bid made for 17-year-old striker?

In recent days I have been busy keeping up with the situation of Roy Hodgson, but could yesterday finally conclude that King Kenny is back!

With Kenny Dalglish finally on board, possibly for the long haul - we can again get back to the real business of this site - player transfer rumours!

Liverpool are launching a bid for Anderlecht superkid Romelu Lukaku.

The Sunday Mirror says Liverpool are hoping £20 million will be enough to land the teen ahead of Chelsea and Real Madrid.

Kop talent-hunter Damien Comolli is understood to have approached Anderlecht about the 17-year-old striker who already has eight caps for his country.

The Reds are pulling out all the stops to sign him – with a £15m initial fee the starting point rising to more than £20m with performance-related add-ons.

That’s big money for Liverpool’s new owner John Henry, head of the Fenway Sports Group, but the Anfield hierarchy recognise they have to start revamping their squad – and fast.

As previously reported by Metro, Ajax star Luis Suarez is said to have told his agent to sound out potential suitors over a move in January - with Liverpool and Tottenham apparently registering their interest - after the departure of Martin Jol from the Amsterdam Arena compounded his current misery.

The Dutch giants have been in inconsistent form of late and - with Suarez currently serving a seven-match ban for biting an opponent - a number of Europe's top clubs have been alerted to his potential availability.

The 23-year-old is thought to be valued at around €27 million but - with Ajax deep in the financial mire - the Dutch club are expected to settle for a reduced sum.

Tuttomercato reported last month that Liverpool had 'made an offer' for Suarez and now, according to Goal.com, €20 million will be ‘enough’ to bring him to Anfield this month, GiveMeFootball claim.

However – despite reports that he would prefer a move to Anfield – Liverpool will have to fight tooth and nail with Tottenham for his signature.

Elsewhere the hottest rumour the last few days is that of Sevilla frontman Alvaro Negredo.

Liverpool are set to launch a summer swoop for Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo, according to reports, Goal.com claim.

Goal.com Spain can exclusively reveal that the Anfield club are already looking to next season, and maintain the belief that striker Fernando Torres will express a desire to move on next summer.

The likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester United have been linked with a move for 'El Nino', and therefore the Reds are lining up replacements, with Negredo allegedly topping their list of targets.

Torres has after this report however ruled out an exit from Liverpool.

Liverpool are also said to be interested in signing Spurs' versatile defender Vedran Corluka for a fee approaching £8m according to reports.

The Croatian international appears to have fallen out of favour at White Hart Lane and Redknapp may well cash in on the player to bolster his finances as he looks to make his own signings, Sport.co.uk reports.

Liverpool are being linked with an £8m move for the player who is also wanted by Italian giants Juventus but a switch to Anfield could well be on the cards.