Liverpool Transfer News: Lucas Leiva Reveals Napoli Offer, Guillermo Ochoa Close

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has revealed former Reds boss Rafael Benitez continues to hunt his signature for Napoli.

The Brazilian was originally linked with a move to Serie A in the summer, but he remained at Anfield, where he has failed to hold down a consistent starting berth this season. Lucas admits he wants to play regularly and recently confirmed Rafa has been in touch.

"This summer Napoli was interested, just like many other clubs," said Lucas, per Sky Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio. "Benitez has asked once again for my purchase. My objective is to play with continuity. We'll see."

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Lucas has made three starts and two substitute appearances across the Premier League and Champions League this season, recorded by WhoScored.com.

The 27-year-old's comments come after his best display of the campaign during the 1-0 loss to Real Madrid, where he made three tackles and three interceptions on a frustrating night for the Reds, outlined by B/R UK's Will Tidey and Ryan Bailey: 

Brendan Rodgers favours greater mobility in his midfield and generally uses Steven Gerrard to carry out the deep-lying role. Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho are among those to buzz around the captain, providing Liverpool with energy and attacking impetus. Deploying Gerrard and Lucas together is a defensive move that sacrifices the side's tempo.

Considering Rodgers recently admitted Gerrard is "very much" part of his plans for the future, reported by Dominic King of the Daily Mail, so it's likely Lucas' chances will remain limited at Anfield. Benitez has midfielders such as Gokhan Inler and Jorginho at his disposal, but he could use an individual who is more likely to sit in order to maintain balance.

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Rodgers is likely to begin deploying Emre Can with greater regularity as the season progresses and may find it difficult to utilise Lucas in anything other than a bit-part role. Liverpool would still have enough midfield competition without him in the setup and could use the additional funds to lure in an alternative to Simon Mignolet.

The goalkeeper was also in decent form during the Bernabeu trip, despite posting a string of poor performances in recent weeks. Spanish publication Fichajes (h/t Metro) believes Liverpool are ready to sign Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in order to provide Mignolet with the incentive to improve.

Ochoa's reputation is enhanced due to his fantastic performances at the World Cup. The 29-year-old hasn't been as reliable as he appeared in Brazil throughout his career, perhaps highlighted by his lack of appearances for Malaga this season.

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He undoubtedly took advantage of the tournament stage during the summer, but the former Ajaccio stopper cannot be considered serious competition for Mignolet when players such as Victor Valdes and Iker Casillas were previously linked with Liverpool. Rodgers will be looking to spend minimal cash on a No.2, however, so he may be attracted to cheaper options.

Each member of Liverpool's squad needs to be contributing regularly. Although Lucas performed well against Madrid, he isn't the type of player who brings unique qualities to Rodgers' team on a weekly basis. The manager could free up funds and a squad space with his departure, an occurrence which appears almost inevitable considering his desire for Gerrard to stay.