Liverpool Transfer News: Latest on Marco Reus, Romelu Lukaku and More

As Luis Suarez departs Merseyside for a sunnier climate, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is planning on how he should spend the huge amount of money generated by the Uruguay international's sale.

The Premier League runners-up will be looking to build on the successes of last season's triumphs which saw the Anfield club propel themselves back into the Champions League after an extended absence.

Here we take a look at a number of players linked with a move to the North West, including Borussia Dortmund's world-class attacker, Marco Reus.    

Marco Reus

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

With Barcelona choosing to purchase Suarez over Marco Reus, the German international is now being targeted by Liverpool in a deal worth £45 million.

Whilst discussing Rodgers' targets, Rob Bleaney of The Guardian said:

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Rodgers has also trained his sights on Marco Reus and is hoping a £45m bid will be enough to lift the Borussia Dortmund speedster from his double misery of missing out on Germany's World Cup-winning campaign through injury and a dream move to Barcelona after the Catalans opted to sign Suarez instead.

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Reus was due to be one of the star attractions at the summer's World Cup but fans were robbed of his talents after he sustained an injury and missed the competition.

The 25-year-old had yet another impressive season with the Bundesliga outfit, scoring 21 goals in 39 domestic league and European matches, per WhoScored.com. The player also assisted 15 times and he is proven to be one of world's best attackers.

However, Tony Barrett of The Times claims that Liverpool are not in any discussions for the German talent and insist that they are not putting a bid together for him.

He tweeted:

Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc also moved recently to dispel rumours of Reus leaving his club, per Sky Sports.

He said to Bild: "I can definitely rule out a transfer this summer."

Liverpool's primary strength last season was their attack and now, without Suarez, Rodgers will have to invest serious money to replace his goals and influence.

There is little doubt that both Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge benefited hugely from Suarez's presence on the pitch and the manager will now have to duplicate that with a new signing. 

Reus would be a fantastic buy for any club but he is not the player Liverpool need at present. The Reds must now find themselves a world-class striker, with a player in the mould of Edinson Cavani suiting their immediate needs.

Romelu Lukaku

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Liverpool are planning a shock raid for Chelsea's young prodigy Romelu Lukaku with Rob Bleaney of The Guardian reporting on Rodgers' interest in the Everton loan star from last year.

Bleaney writes that Liverpool are in advanced talks with his parent club over a £26 million move to Anfield after the player's disappointing showing at the World Cup.

Omar Hamouda also writes about Rodgers' possible move for the player, highlighting Lukaku's 63 percent shot accuracy―the second best in the Premier League last year.

Big things were expected of the Belgium international at the World Cup but the striker flattered to deceive, eventually losing his place in the starting eleven. 

But Lukaku's domestic reputation is as strong as ever after a solid campaign on Merseyside with the Toffees. 

Liverpool's need for a striker dictates that they could move for Lukaku to pair him up with Sturridge. It would be an interesting combination and would rely on Sturridge to drop wider in games. But Lukaku has also shown that he is versatile across the last third and a partnership with Sturridge could be very exciting for Liverpool fans. 

Lazar Markovic

Armando Franca/Associated Press

Liverpool's move for Lazar Markovic could be completed as soon as Monday evening as the player appears to be on the verge of sealing a £20 million transfer.

Simon Rice of The Independent writes that the Benfica star will sign a four-year deal with the club after helping his side win the Portuguese league, last season.

The Sunday Times' Duncan Castles also confirmed the imminent transfer on twitter. He also tweeted a picture of the player at the airport, bound for Liverpool:

Markovic is a skillful player who will definitely be a crowd-pleaser if he can hit the ground running in the new season. He is not on the scale of a Suarez type, but he will add flavour to Liverpool's attack and variation.

Markovic would be the fourth signing in the door after the captures of Adam Lallana, Ricky Lambert and Emre Can, and it is starting to look like a positive window for Rodgers. But the loss of Suarez could hurt the Anfield club as they pass into the Champions League, and look for the top class quality needed to progress in the competition.