Liverpool Transfer News: Major Stars Targeted by Reds in Latest January Rumours

Typically, players who score four goals in a game are a picture of happiness. But that couldn’t be said for West Bromwich Albion’s Saido Berahino—a reported target for Liverpool in the January window—who bagged a quartet of fine strikes against minnows Gateshead in Round 3 of the FA Cup.

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The non-celebration from the young forward has only added fuel to the fire about a potential move away from the Hawthorns, but new Baggies head coach Tony Pulis insisted after the 7-0 win that the club are keen on keeping hold of their star centre-forward, per Adam Crafton of the Mail Online:

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You should see him in the dressing room, he’s happy in there.

I hope he keeps reading the headlines if he scores four every week. There is always going to be transfer speculation and you can see why.

He has great pace, great balance and scores goals. But when I came in here the chairman had not received any offer for him and we will try our damnedest to try and improve him.

"

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Even though it was only non-league opposition, there was enough on display against Gateshead from Berahino to indicate why the likes of the Reds and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with the forward.

His eye for goal will be of special interest to Brendan Rodgers, who’s quartet of orthodox strikers have only notched two goals between them in the Premier League all season. As noted by Crafton's piece, that could prompt the Liverpool boss into moving for the England U21 international in January.

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Football writer Paul Grech thinks it’s vital the Reds bolster their options at the sharp end of the pitch in January, even with Daniel Sturridge on the comeback trail:

Berahino would cost a sizeable premium if Rodgers wanted to bring him to the club and while he may not be the finished article quite yet, Anfield would an ideal place for the 21-year-old to refine his talents and grow as a player. But at this juncture, he’s not the class of player that’ll fire the Reds into contention for the top-four spots.

Indeed, after signing a host of young talents in the summer with the money received from the sale of Luis Suarez, and with legendary skipper Steven Gerrard set to leave the club at the end of the season, signing players who are in their prime is something the Reds boss knows is important, per Simon Mullock of The Mirror:

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The model at the football club is clear in that the owners want to bring in young players in order to develop and create them into world class players.

Of course, that can be a longer and more difficult process. It is certainly something I know the owners look at. They know that not every player can be a developer.

If you’re going to keep progressing, you also need those ready-made players.

"

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With that in mind, it’ll be intriguing to see the kind of players that Rodgers targets in the January window. One player that’d certainly fit the bill is Bayern Munich’s Xherdan Shaqiri, but according to reports in Italy, the Reds look as though they’re set to miss out on the Swiss star.

As reported by football-italia.net, three of Italy’s leading newspapers—La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport—say it’s Internazionale in the box seat for the 23-year-old's signature, who apparently would favour a move to Milan over Merseyside despite Liverpool’s willingness to pay Bayern’s reported €14 million valuation up front.

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Here’s a look at why Shaqiri is a reported target for some of Europe’s biggest names:

The former FC Basel man would add plenty of attacking flair to the Liverpool front line. He’s a wonderfully dynamic player to watch and is capable of playing in a host of roles across the midfield. Shaqiri is at his best drifting in from the right flank, though, and with Raheem Sterling currently occupying a central position, the Bayern star could provide a much-needed direct threat from wide positions.

Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe thinks the player would be a shrewd addition for any team in the January window:

Sadly for Reds supporters this coalescence of reports look too coincidental to be dismissed as conjecture. Roberto Mancini is clearly intent on making a major impression in his second spell as Inter manager and the move for Shaqiri will give his starting XI some critical impetus in the second half of the season.

If there is any chance of the Reds rescuing this deal then they must do their utmost to get Shaqiri to Anfield. It’s not often that a player of his class is available for such a reasonable figure in the January window and while Shaqiri is still a little rough around the edges, his raw ability would be enough to give everyone at the club a major lift after a tough opening to the campaign.