Liverpool Transfer News: Latest on Patrick Roberts, Marco Reus and Yohan Cabaye

Liverpool are ready to step up their bid for Fulham youngster Patrick Roberts, according to reports on Monday.

Brendan Rodgers is "desperate" to land the 17-year-old winger—revealed by Darren Witcoop of the Mirror—who has enjoyed a rotational debut season in the Championship.

Roberts has racked up 301 minutes across two starts and nine substitute appearances for the recently relegated side, per WhoScored.com, impressing with his skill and directness on the ball, as highlighted below:

Witcoop suggests Fulham will be more inclined to let the Englishman leave if the buying club agree to loan him back for the rest of the season, terms Rodgers has already accepted with Divock Origi's signing in the summer.

Unlike the Belgian striker, Roberts wouldn't necessarily make it into Liverpool's first team this campaign and would benefit from remaining at Craven Cottage.

Reports suggest Liverpool also remain in the hunt for Marco Reus, but David Wright of the Express now outlines Chelsea as the Borussia Dortmund star's most likely destination. This is due to the German club allegedly favouring Andre Schurrle as a direct replacement, meaning a potential swap deal could be agreed between the two sides.

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Oliver Bierhoff, general manager with Germany's national team, believes Reus may be tempted to remain at the Westfalenstadion next season, however. "I can still see him playing for Dortmund," Bierhoff told Sky, reported by Fox Sports. "Dortmund is a guarantee for him."

The legendary striker continued:

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I know that Marco also has his heart in Dortmund. He knows what he's got there and he treasures it too. Marco is the kind of person who needs to be in settled surroundings, but of course you do also get envious of your rivals when they are lifting the trophies.

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Bierhoff admits Reus may struggle with the knowledge he could never receive "this chance again," indicating a potential move to one of Europe's elite may prove too tempting. Rodgers' playing style would have suited Reus last season—the cut-and-thrust of Liverpool's play allowing forwards to excel with freedom—but this year's diminished output is unlikely to attract the BVB star.

Michel Euler/Associated Press

Rodgers himself knows Liverpool must work "harder and smarter" to land world-class talents, reported by ESPN. The club did well to attract an array of youth during the summer but failed to land a striker whose goalscoring prowess could begin to repair the damage of Luis Suarez's departure.

Both Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli have an awful lot to improve and currently sit on zero Premier League goals between them this season.

Considering names such as Radamel Falcao and Alexis Sanchez filled Liverpool's gossip columns during the summer, such a return is extremely disappointing for fans who have been forced to quickly lower their expectations after last season's second-place finish.

Jon Super/Associated Press

The Reds need a quick improvement in form if they are to attract the kind of talent Rodgers craves in January. Paris Saint-Germain's Yohan Cabaye is said to be on the radar, reported by Aaron Flanagan of the Mirror, but Rodgers may experience the same lack of progress if Arsenal make good on their alleged interest.

Had Liverpool followed last season's tremendous form with another impressive run, Rodgers' transfer troubles may have eased somewhat. For potential signings looking in, Liverpool's 11th-place standing highlights a side that is yet to prove whether the previous campaign was a one-off.

This is perhaps the most damaging realisation of all, as if success can't be sustained in the long run, Rodgers will have missed his chance to significantly improve Liverpool's fortunes for the better.