Liverpool with backup transfer plan

Kenny Dalglish is confident new faces will be seen at Anfield before the January transfer window is closed, after meeting with the club's principal owner John W Henry and chairman Tom Werner, Shankly Gates report.

And King Kenny has now handed over his transfer wish-list, he confirmed Thursday. 

When it comes to Luis Suarez rumours, it has suddenly gone a little quiet. Something might be happening, or Suarez might even choose to stay at Ajax until the end of the season.

Positive news is that Damien Comolli now have confirmed both Suarez and Ashley Young are transfer targets.

But, obviously there are other candidates, if the Suarez deal falls through...

Liverpool are reportedly set to turn their attentions to Lacina Traore - should they lose out on Suarez.

Suarez's protracted move to Anfield has eked out for some time now and - according to The Telegraph - the Reds and Ajax are currently way apart in their valuation of the Uruguayan.

And, with Liverpool desperate for striking reinforcements in January, they could be forced to set their sights elsewhere in pursuit of more potent attacking options.

One of their reported targets is FC Cluj frontman Lacina Traore who, according to talkSPORT, could be available to Liverpool for €12 million.

Sportingo reports that Liverpool will have to fight of the advances of Fulham if they hope to sign the 6ft 8in striker who could prove to be an intriguing partner for Anfield hero Fernando Torres.

Although lacking the goalscoring prowess of Suarez, the 20-year-old Ivorian would work as a competent foil for Torres as Liverpool attempt to transform their season.

Despite the introduction as Kenny Dalglish as the new Liverpool boss, the Anfield club are still way off the pace in the Premier League and find their attacking department in desperate need of bolstering.

Talksport also reports Rennes star Yann M'Vila has issued a come-and-get-me plea to the 'club of his dreams' - Manchester United.

The defensive midfielder has been a revelation for Rennes, who are currently flying high in Ligue Un, and has attracted interest from Liverpool and Real Madrid.

The France international would prefer a move to the Premier League over La Liga, but a transfer to Liverpool is currently not his first choice.

"Manchester United is the club of my dreams," M'Vila said. "It's a very prestigious club and I dream to play for them."

Hodgson's doomed, but who's coming?

Happy New Year to all readers of Murphy's Liverpool!

On the first day of the new year - and of the first day of the Janyar transfer window - it has become clear that NESV are convinced Roy Hodgson is not the man to lead the club forward in the long-term.
They are now actively considering replacing him midway through the season, should the right candidate become available.

At least that is what Rory Smith of the Telegraph has from his sources.

He also claims Tom Werner and John W. Henry, would prefer to make their first appointment a permanent one – seemingly ruling out a return for Kenny Dalglish as caretaker.

They hope to attract a young, ambitious coach to revitalise the club after two years of regression under Hodgson and his predecessor, Rafael Benitez.

According to The Telegraph the new manager needs to be Youthful, Progressive, Adaptable and Successful.

Undoubtedly NESV has a rebuilding process on their hands and apparently is going to kick-start it by attempting to lure Shaun Wright-Phillips away from Manchester City.

This seems strange however, given the NESV policy of bringing in younger talent.

Click Liverpool claims Liverpool hopes to sign the England international now the transfer market has reopened for business.

Wright-Phillips has been told that he will be allowed to leave if a suitable offer is tabled and could join Liverpool for as little as £4million - barely even half of what City paid Chelsea to re-sign him in August 2008, having sold him for £21million three years prior.

Liverpool are according to The Mirror ready to beat Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid to the £15m signing of France star Yann M'Vila.

Director of football Damien Comolli has identified the Rennes defensive midfielder as a central player in the rebuilding of the Reds.

Real Madrid have also contacted Rennes about the player who is under contract until 2014.

Elsewhere the Footballtransfertavern claims Liverpool are close to sealing a deal with Trabzonspor for reported target Teofilo Gutierrez.

The 25-year-old Colombian international striker has been linked with a move to Merseyside since the summer and now it would appear that Roy Hodgson is ready to offer £6million.

The former Junior Barranquilla forward may be a savvy piece of business for the reds, he will be relatively affordable and has had top level experience.

He was also exceptionally prolific in Colombia where hit 42 goals in just 79 appearances and impressed during his time in Turkey.

Comolli's £80m wish list

With Gerard Houllier coming to Anfield monday talent-spotter Damien Comolli seems to have a desire to re-start the Liverpool French revolution.

On top of his wish list for January there are four Frenchmen.

Comolli, the new director of football strategy charged with helping boss Roy Hodgson ­recruit new stars, has been assembling a hit-list of transfer targets for the January window and next summer – with four Frenchmen on the radar.

Related reading: Liverpool pondering big moves? 
Related: Transfer targets video compilation

And heading the wish list of French stars are four of Laurent Blanc’s side who outplayed England in their 2-1 friendly win at Wembley last month.

Yann M’Vila, Rennes’ 20-year-old midfielder, Marseilles striker Loic Remy – 24 next month – Lille centre-back Adil Rami, 25 later this month, and St Etienne attacking midfielder Dimitri Payet, 23, have all been identified by Comolli as viable targets, The People reports.

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And with Lille’s exciting ­£20million Belgian winger Eden Hazard plus Borussia Dortmund’s £15m-rated Serbian central ­defender Neven Subotic also a priority, all of Comolli’s targets would cost a staggering £80m.

That would be an immediate test of Kop owner John Henry’s commitment to Anfield’s future. Comolli has been told by ­Henry to nab players in their early 20s as Liverpool build for a ­brighter ­future.

But he’ll have his work cut out to land them all – especially Hazard, who is being tracked by Real Madrid.

Boss Hodgson has been told he must offload some players to raise additional transfer funds and England defender Glen Johnson, Daniel Agger, Ryan Babel and Fabio Aurelio will all be made available, the paper reports.

Former Spurs midfielder linked

Today, Liverpool largely is linked with defenders, midfielders and rather surprisingly, a keeper.

Reto Ziegler could be on his way to Liverpool in January after it was revealed Sampdoria are considering an offer from the Reds.'

The versatile Switzerland international, and former reported Liverpool target, will be available for a bargain price in January and could help to solve Liverpool's problems on the left flank, as he can play at full-back or in midfield.

He has less than a year left on his contract and his situation in Genoa has alerted a number of clubs across Europe and Sampdoria have already received several bids, reports IMScouting.

Among them are offers from Serie A rivals Juventus and Lazio, and one from Bundesliga side Werder Bremen. According to German website 4-4-2, none of those clubs have matched the offer from Liverpool and the Reds are now in pole position to land Ziegler in January for a fee in the region of £3 million.

Ziegler will be a familiar name to fans of English football, as he spent three years at Spurs earlier in his career.

Today Liverpool is surprisingly linked with Watford goalkeeper Scott Loach as Pepe Reinas replacement, if he leaves. 

The People says Liverpool, worried about No.1 Pepe Reina’s future, are interested in the England U21 international.

Liverpool is not the only club into Loach. Tottenham boss Harry Redknap has already had offers of £2.2m and £3m, including add-ons, knocked back for the England Under-21 shot-stopper.

Watford want a £4.5m fee for the player.

Another new name on the radar is Fulham midfielder Simon Davies.

Roy Hodgson wants to raid his former club for the midfielder, according to Metro.

Davies was a key player in Hodgson’s Fulham side that shocked everybody by reaching the Europa League final and the pair worked together for two years prior to that.

It seems only a matter of time before a second Cottager makes the move to Anfield, after Paul Konchesky did similar in the summer.

Damian Comolli has been brought in by Liverpool’s new owners to work alongside Hodgson in the transfer market and the pair have drawn up a shortlist of targets for January.

Comolli has insisted John W Henry is willing to fund the signing of a ‘world class player’ in the upcoming transfer window and most of the Frenchman’s scouting work has been done on the continent.

French midfielder Yann M'Vila is a reported target for Liverpool, but our former manager Gerard Houllier is also interested.

The People says Houllier is ready to use his French connections to try to pull off a £9m transfer coup for the 20-year-old Rennes ace, who was in the national side that outclassed England last week.

M’Vila has been linked with several clubs,  but Villa are quietly confident they can get their man.

Finaly, it appears Liverpool is in a race with Arsenal to get France defender Mamadou Sakho.

According to Italian website Tutto Mercato, Liverpool are tracking the 20-year-old Paris Saint-Germain ace with a view to making a January bid for the France international, GiveMeFootball reports.

However, it has emerged over recent weeks that Arsenal are keen on Sakho, who has been earning rave reviews for his performances in Ligue 1 this season.

Both Arsenal and Liverpool are thought to be in the market for defensive reinforcements, however, Arsenal would appear to be the favourites for Sakho's signature after he revealed he would favour a move to a club in the Champions League.

Arsenal have a nigh on impeccable track record of developing young talent - in particular young French talent - and Sakho would no doubt add to the vast reserves of quality already at Wenger's disposal at the Emirates.

The Arsenal model of investing in youngsters is something that Liverpool owners NESV are hoping to emulate and Anfield - and a deal for Sakho would certainly represent a good start to their ongoing quest.

French midfielder linked

After the terrible loss to Stoke this weekend Roy Hodgson admits he has doubts over his Liverpool future, as fans call for legend Kenny Dalglish to replace him.

Hodgson, on the other hand, asks us to judge him after 38 to 55 games.

Yann M'Vila.

The hottest rumour the last 24 hours is that of the Rennes youngster Yann M'Vila. Roy Hodgson flew to France on Sunday to watch him.

He saw M'Vila play for his current club against Auxerre.

Although M'Vila's side lost 1-0, according to SportsVibe the Liverpool manager's mind seems to be set on acquiring the youngster to shore up the Reds' midfield.

M'Vila, who plays as a holding player primarily, has received an abundance of plaudits around France for his physical strength and, even at the tender age of 20, has already appeared four times for the national side.

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Mvila burst onto the scene at Rennes last season, displacing former Liverpool player Bruno Cheyrou from the side. M'Vila has excellent physical strength and is renowned as an effective ball winner, who is then able to use the ball sensibly.  His rapid rise has also been helped by a real maturity in his game.

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It's believed a fee of £15m could be enough to secure the 20-year-old's services, The Daily Mail reports.

Valter Birsa.

In addition to M'Vila Hodgson is believed to have watched two more players in action on sunday.

Auxerre's Delvin Ndinga is another believed to have caught the eye, with a number of clubs from across Europe monitoring his situation.

Another player to have been linked with Liverpool in the past is Slovenian striker Valter Birsa and Hodgson may have taken the opportunity to run the rule over him.

The Auxerre striker impressed at the 2010 World Cup and it is expected to be only a matter of time before he is on his way to pastures new, Sky Sports reports.

Lucas Barrios.

Another reported transfer target for Hodgson is Dortmund striker Lucas Barrios.

He represents the type of big-name signing that many LFC fans long to see.

The well built 26 year old has been a remarkable success in the Bundesliga since his move from Colo Colo in the summer of 2009.

Barrios has netted 31 goals in 50 matches for Dortmund and has attracted a great deal of interest as his form of late has helped take his side clear at the top of the table.

Barrios, 26, is valued at about £12m.