Liverpool transfer window 2015: now Rodgers must deliver results

Liverpool transfer news: Son Heung-Min and Depay on radar

5 May

Although Liverpool's hopes of Champions League football next season hang in the balance, the Daily Mail says the Reds remain hopeful of signing Bayer Leverkusen forward Son Heung-Min and also convincing Memphis Depay to join from PSV Eindhoven.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is desperate to bolster his frontline after a miserable first season without Luis Suarez and his scouting staff have monitored South Korea international Son on several occasions this season. The Mail says Leverkusen would want £15m for the 22-year-old and while his agent Thies Bliemeister is confident of a deal. "I know Liverpool... would like to have him in their team," he declared.

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As for Depay, it's reported that the Dutch international, who is also being tracked by Manchester United, is another Reds' target with the Anfield club "confident" they can land Depay for around £20m.

Meanwhile BBC Sport reports that Barcelona are increasingly sure that Dani Alves will stay loyal to them for the foreseeable future. The 31-year-old Brazilian right-back has been linked with both Liverpool and United in recent weeks but club president Josep Maria Bartomeu is quoted saying by the Beeb: "He is an important player who contributes a lot. I hope he renews. We have asked him to and we're discussing it." Asked if he had spoken to Alves about a possible move, Bartomeu replied: "I know he'd like to stay and Barca want him to stay."

The hunt for the 'new Steven Gerrard' is already underway at Anfield and Metro says Liverpool are closing in on Inter Milan playmaker Mateo Kovacic. The 20-year-old "has the potential to be one of the top midfielders in Europe" says Metro, which adds that the arrival of Yaya Toure in Milan could prompt him to leave. A deal worth £17.7m is said to be in the pipeline.

Liverpool transfer news: Reds eye £16m Real Madrid winger

30 April

With a squad overhaul on the cards at Anfield this summer, and it seems Liverpool are in the market for wingers. The Reds are hot on the heels of PSV flyer Memphis Depay, although they will face stiff opposition from Manchester United, and Theo Walcott has also been mentioned as a possible target.

Now a third target has emerged in the form of Real Madrid outcast Denis Cheryshev. The Daily Mirror has picked up on reports in Spain that suggest the Russian could be Anfield-bound in the summer.

The 24-year-old is currently on loan at Villarreal and it is thought that he will been deemed surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu when he returns. The Spanish club are not keen on selling to any of their La Liga rivals, so a £16m switch to Anfield is being proposed. It remains to be seen if he will come in as a replacement for Raheem Sterling.

Liverpool and Barcelona must battle it out for the services of Inter Milan midfielder Mateo Kovacic. According to the Daily Express Inter boss Roberto Mancini will swoop for Manchester City playmaker Yaya Toure in a few weeks, allowing Kovacic to leave as a consequence.

The Croatia international has reportedly attracted interest from Arsenal but the Express says that Italian media source Tuttomercatoweb has it on good authority that Kovacic "wants to join either Barcelona or Liverpool". Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is believed to be a fan of Kovacic and regards him as a ready-made replacement for Steven Gerrard, who is off to the United States next season.

Liverpool transfer news: Reds eye the 'Nigerian Ronaldo'

30 April

The search for the elusive 'new Cristiano Ronaldo' continues, but could Liverpool be prepared to settle for a man dubbed "the Nigerian Ronaldo"?

According to the Daily Express, 19-year-old Moses Simon, currently with Belgian side Gent, is being monitored by the Reds, Tottenham and Turkish outfit Fenerbahce. But the player who has won two caps for Nigeria is reportedly favouring a move to Liverpool as Brendan Rodgers looks to freshen up his squad ahead of next season. To that end, claims the Express, the Reds' gaffer is also looking to prise Christian Benteke from Aston Villa and Danny Ings from Burnley.

Liverpool are also keen on Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac who is free to leave the French side on a free transfer in the summer. Talksport says both Liverpool and Newcastle "have been impressed by the striker's haul of 18 goals in Ligue 1 this season", but warns that West Ham are about to join the race for his signature.

Liverpool transfer news: Man City raid for Milner and Jovetic

27 April

With Liverpool's chances of breaking into the top four seriously undermined by a dour 0-0 draw with West Brom at the weekend, attention is turning to the rebuilding job facing Brendan Rodgers after a disappointing season at Anfield.

There's an 'exclusive' at the Daily Star, which claims that Liverpool "are convinced" they have all but signed James Milner from Manchester City. The paper says that Arsenal and Roma have also been in the hunt to sign the Citizens' midfielder, who is out of contract at the end of the season, but an Anfield insider has revealed that the move is "done deal". The 29-year-old has apparently agreed to join Liverpool after he was assured he would be able "to play in his preferred midfield role".

In addition, the Star says that Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers "has also earmarked Stevan Jovetic as his number one striker" next season and will table a £16m to City for the out-of-favour frontman, who has become a peripheral figure at the Etihad.

Another striker could be on the way to Anfield according to Metro, which reports that Rodgers is setting up a deal to bring Aston Villa star Christian Benteke to Liverpool. The deal, worth an estimated £30m, would see Rickie Lambert move in the other direction to Villa.

Burnley striker Danny Ings is also in Rodgers's sites according to the Daily Express, which says that the 24-year-old would only cost the Reds no more than £5m.

Liverpool transfer news: Palace want £40m for Bolasie

24 April

Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew will not be letting Yannick Bolasie join Liverpool without a fight and has laid out what it will take for the club to prise the player away from Selhurst Park - and it appears he has doubled his asking price in a matter of days.

In recent weeks Liverpool have been linked with a move for the 25-year-old winger, but Metro reports that the Eagles gaffer had this message for the Reds: "If someone wants to give me £40m-£60m [for Bolasie], somewhere in there, that would be good. I'd take it and we'd build the team around that money."

When Liverpool's interest in the player first emerged a deal of £10m seemed on the cards. Last week Pardew suggested the player was worth something closer to £20m and now his value has soared again.

Asked whether he thought Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers would be deterred by the asking price, Pardew replied: "It is about the right price for the right player and then you have to build on that. If a manager wants to ring me up, I'll talk to them and give them a proper price."

The Reds could also go after Real Madrid misfit Asier Illarramendi and try and steal him away from Arsenal adds Metro. It says that Spanish rag Marca is reporting that Liverpool have made contact about a possible deal.

After signing his new Anfield deal Jordan Henderson has urged unsettled winger Raheem Sterling to do the same, reports the Liverpool Echo. Sterling rejected a £100,000-a-week deal with the Reds prompting talk of a move away, but Henderson told the paper: "I think this is the best place for him."

Liverpool transfer news: Pogba key to Sterling Juventus deal

24 April

Raheem Sterling may be refusing to sign on the dotted line for Liverpool, with talk of a move to Juventus, but Jordan Henderson is expected to put pen to paper this week and agree a new £100,000-a-week deal that will keep him at Anfield until 2020.

The deal was agreed ahead of the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Aston Villa says the Daily Telegraph, which adds that the 24-year-old midfielder is hoping to be confirmed as club captain when Steven Gerrard leaves for LA Galaxy at the end of the campaign.

Whether that happens or not depends on who Brendan Rodgers buys over the summer, says the paper. And he may have to buy a lot of players if the Daily Mail is to be believed. It claims that there will be an Anfield "exodus" at the end of the season with as many as ten stars leaving the club.

In addition to the departing Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Kolo Toure are also out of contract. Defender Javi Manquillo has failed to find his feet and could leave while Martin Skrtel's future is also unclear.

Bit-part strikers Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert are not thought to have an Anfield future and second-string keeper Brad Jones could also leave, says the paper.

The Mail list features two other names, those of Mario Balotelli and Sterling.

Balotelli's future is unclear, but the rumour mill is in overdrive when it comes to winger Sterling. The Sun believes that the 20-year-old could be heading to Juventus in a £50m deal, rather than Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal or any of his other suitors.

It says that Juve will raise £75m by selling Paul Pogba, possibly to Manchester United or Chelsea, in the summer and that the bulk of the money will go on a deal for Sterling. Liverpool might not want to sell Sterling, says the paper, but they could not afford to turn down such a big offer.

Liverpool transfer news: will Sterling buy out his contract?

April 20

The Raheem Sterling saga took a dramatic new twist this weekend after it was claimed that the Liverpool winger is considering buying out the last year of his Anfield contract to secure a summer move, with Chelsea the new favourites to sign him.

The Daily Mail reports that Sterling could buy out the final year of his contract, which runs until 2017, at the end of the season in order to force through a move.

If Sterling was to cough up around £1.7m to cover the costs of his £35,000-a-week wages for the final season of his deal it could force Liverpool to sell him this summer as he would effectively be entering the final year of his contract next season, explains the paper. The Mail says if Liverpool were to sell Sterling with two years left on his contract they could demand as much as £50m, but with only one year left they could be forced to settle for £25m.

The paper adds that while the Reds would end up £25m out of pocket, Sterling would easily recoup his costs in the form of a signing on fee with a new club and vastly improved wages.

According to Metro, Chelsea are the winger's preferred destination, but it notes that Arsenal, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also all keen on the 20-year-old flyer.

They are not the only ones, as the Daily Mirror reports. It says that Manchester United and Manchester City are both eager to bring the England winger on board.

But Reds boss Brenadan Rodgers insists that Anfield is the right place for Sterling to continue his career. "If you say that Manchester City is a bigger club than Liverpool, you’re wrong," he said before Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final defeat to Aston Villa. "You've got Liverpool and Manchester United as the two biggest clubs in this country – the rest of them are fighting to be there over the next 20 years."

Liverpool transfer news: £20m for Bolasie, anger over Falcao

April 17

Are Liverpool eyeing up Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie? There has been plenty of speculation that they are chasing the Palace star, and that has prompted Eagles manager Alan Pardew to slap a £20m price tag on the DR Congo flyer.

The Evening Standard reports that Liverpool are widely expected to make an offer of £10m for the 25-year-old at the end of the season, but it notes that Pardew responded by warning Brendan Rodgers that the player would not come cheap. "They need to have a look at that because he is worth double that," he said.

With the future of Raheem Sterling still shrouded in mystery it remains to be seen how badly Liverpool will be in need of a winger this summer.

The Reds have also been handed what Metro describes as "a blow" in their bid to bring striker Alexandre Lacazette to Anfield next season. The France international, who has scored 25 league goals in 28 games for Lyon this term has reiterated his desire to remain with the Ligue 1 club despite reports that Reds' boss Rodgers has his eye on him.

"It is too early to speak about opportunities of leaving abroad. In any case, it will be a footballing decision,' the 23-year-old Lacazette told Le Progres newspaper. Pressed on his future plans, however, he said: "I am good at Lyon, and if I feel that the project will continue advance, I can see myself staying... I would like to sign a contract extension."

Another striker who has been linked with Anfield recently is Man United flop Radamel Falcao. There have been reports that the Reds could offer Monaco £35m to take him on loan next season. However, Talksport notes that some Kop fans are "not amused" by the prospect of fielding a Man United reject.

Liverpool transfer news: Reds pounce of Illarramendi

April 14

It seems the news that Arsenal are lining up a bid for Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi has stirred Liverpool into making what the Daily Express describes as "juicy offer" for the playmaker.

As we reported on Monday, the Gunners are said to be Illarramendi's first-choice destination as he prepares to leave Real at the end of the season, but Spanish paper Marca claims that the Reds – who last night beat Newcastle 2-0 to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League – are determined to muscle Arsenal out of the way. Apparently the 25-year-old Illarramendi is now "keen on a switch to Merseyside" after he was sold on the idea by former Real teammate Xabi Alonso, who spent five seasons at Anfield before leaving for Madrid.

Liverpool transfer news: Balotelli disposal 'to cost £10m'

13 April

It's going to cost the Reds £10m to "get rid of flop Mario Balotelli". That's the 'exclusive' carried by the Daily Star, with paper claiming that Rodgers has "lost patience with the Italian" after his constant underperforming since arriving last summer from AC Milan.

The 24-year-old has been laid low of late with a string of ailments, including a high temperature, and the Star says that Liverpool want to move him on in the summer.

The only problem is that Balotelli is "adamant he wants to stay" and his agent Mino Raiola has told the Reds that the only way he'll walk is if Liverpool pay out his £95k-a-week contract. With two years to run on his contract, that equates to a cool £10m, so it's little wonder that the Star says Liverpool will "try to find a compromise deal if they can find a buyer".

Meanwhile, the club will present Jordon Ibe with a new deal at the end of the season as they seek to avoid another contract row.

With the Reds still allegedly in dispute with Raheem Sterling over his Anfield future, The Sun says that Brendan Rodgers wants the 19-year-old Ibe to be tied to the club for the foreseeable future. Ibe has two years left on his existing deal but the teenage winger is expected to commit to a long-term deal in the coming weeks.

And according to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are keen to sign James Milner from Manchester City, with the Reds seeing him as the man to "to fill the vacuum created by Steven Gerrard's departure".

However, Liverpool will face competition from Arsenal, and with the Gunners more likely to offer Champions League football next season, London may seem the preferable destination.

Liverpool transfer news: Pedro to replace Sterling?

8 April

Might Liverpool try to tempt Pedro from the Camp Nou if, as expected, Raheem Sterling quits Anfield in the summer? According to the Daily Express, Reds' boss Brendan Rodgers is an admirer of Pedro and was close to tabling a bid at the start of the season.

Instead he signed Mario Balotelli from AC Milan, but with that move a disaster, Rodgers is looking to the 27-year-old Pedro, who has allegedly become disenchanted with having to fall in behind Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi in the Barca hierarchy.

Though Bayern Munich are known to be interested, Pedro would struggle for regular first team action and that's why an offer from Anfield could be the most attractive.

Liverpool may have another gap to fill, if the Daily Mail is correct. The paper reports that Manchester City are sniffing around Jordan Henderson, the Liverpool midfielder, as they look to strengthen their misfiring squad – but Liverpool are expected to hold out for a £30 million transfer fee.