Liverpool Transfer News: Latest on Marco Reus, Andre-Pierre Gignac and Petr Cech

A second-place finish in the Premier League and the lure of Champions League football should have yielded a summer of massive prosperity for Liverpool. But for all the stellar names that were linked with a move to Anfield, none of those exciting transfers really materialised.

Instead, Brendan Rodgers opted to sign myriad young talents to replace the mercurial Luis Suarez; as of yet, they haven’t really blossomed. But for Reds supporters currently unhappy with Liverpool’s lowly league position, a host of illustrious players have been mooted as possible targets for the Merseysiders in the January window.

The incoming player that would carry unanimous favour with Liverpool’s worldwide supporter base is Marco Reus. The Borussia Dortmund forward is widely expected to be on the move sooner rather than later, with a host of clubs keen on his signature. And according to reports, the Reds, et al, have been handed a boost in the race for the player.

That’s after it was confirmed by FIFA agent Dirk Hebel to Kicker (h/t Chisanga Malata of the Daily Star) that Reus has had no discussions with Bayern Munich. “There are no negotiations between Marco and Bayern," said Hebel. “There has never been any contact.”

Michael Sohn/Associated Press

Here’s why Reus is expected to be a target for the vast majority of Europe’s top clubs:

The German international is currently injured, but should Rodgers strike a deal, it would be a major, major coup for Liverpool. The 26-year-old is a genuine world-class talent, and a player who would add both a dynamic and intricate edge to this team’s toiling attacking armoury. 

Such is his ability, WhoScored.com thinks Reus deserves to be considered as the third best player on the planet behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo:

But with the world’s biggest clubs supposedly interested, do Liverpool have a lure comparable to those teams at the peak of the European game? At this juncture—with the prospect Champions League football for the remainder of this season and the next still very unclear—the answer is probably not. 

David Vincent/Associated Press

That could turn the Reds towards a more realistic option and reports suggest that could come in the form of Marseille hitman Andre-Pierre Gignac. Liverpool have been linked with the burly forward already this season, per Charles Perrin of the Express, and their interest will have been stoked further after the 28-year-old admitted to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t GetFootballNewsFrance.com) that he is set to leave Ligue 1 come the end of the season:

"

As a child I dreamed of becoming a professional and playing for Marseille. But now at the end of the season I think I will move on. 

Inter? It is an institution, with the great Mancini at the helm. I watch all the big leagues, but also the Russian and Turkish ones.

"

According to Mathieu Gregoire (h/t GetFootballNewsFrance.com), Dinamo Moscow have already made a €6 million bid for the player, who has netted an impressive 11 goals in 15 games for the league leaders, per WhoScored.com. For that kind of premium, Liverpool should be looking at bringing the player in during the January window.

The Reds do have a target man already in Rickie Lambert, but Gignac is a much more classy operator. He’s a robust, physical threat who’s capable of pinning defenders down, but he’s also very comfortable drifting into wide positions and affecting the game from those areas. Bleacher Report’s French football expert Andrew Gibney thinks the player would be a fine acquisition for a Premier League team:

But with Daniel Sturridge still to come back into the fold, arguably Liverpool have areas of the squad that are in much more pressing need of addressing.

Most notably, perhaps, what to do about their goalkeeper. Simon Mignolet is having a torrid season between the sticks and is doing little to fill the Anfield faithful with confidence, as noted by Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph:

"

Mignolet appealing for calm from defenders a particular highlight. Tsunami warnings are more reassuring than him.

— Chris Bascombe (@_ChrisBascombe) November 26, 2014"

Reports have subsequently linked the Reds with a move for Chelsea’s out-of-favour stopper Petr Cech, per the Daily Star (h/t Vaishali Bhardwaj of Metro). But as you might expect, for a keeper of the 32-year-old’s calibre, the Anfield outfit could face some stiff competition for his signature.

Christopher Lee/Getty Images

According to GianlucaDiMarzio.com, Roma are the latest club to show an interest in Cech, who has established himself as one of the finest goalkeepers on the planet after a trophy-laden spell in west London. With that in mind, Liverpool must move quickly to get Cech on board.

The Reds have looked incredibly shaky at the back throughout the course of this season and much of that stems from the hesitancy that has transcended into the back four via Mignolet. By comparison, Cech is an assured, composed and commanding presence; one that would give this Liverpool team the kind of rigid foundation that has been so desperately lacking as of late.