Liverpool Transfer News: Moves That Could Transform Reds' Season

Despite spending more than £100 million in the summer, Liverpool have struggled this season and are in desperate need of some new players in January.

Luckily for Reds fans, their team has been linked with talented players who can turn their campaign around.

Historically, Brendan Rodgers does not have a good record in the transfer market at Liverpool. At a cost of more than £212 million, the 41-year-old has signed 25 players, of whom so far only two can be said to have had a significant positive impact on the team (Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho).

However, if the Reds were to land any of these players, it could have a huge impact on the remainder of their season.

Neto

Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto is out of contract in the summer, and according to Liam Corless of the Mirror, La Viola are keen to cash in on him in January.

The Brazilian is gifted with quick reflexes (0:22, 2:46 below) and is comfortable stopping shots from any range (0:37, 2:08).

The 25-year-old would be a solid replacement for Simon Mignolet, who has had a season to forget. 

Not only has the Belgian made a number of costly errors this season, but he has been in constant decline since joining the Reds in 2013, per Rich Taylor of BT Sport.

BT Sport

As the graph above shows, Mignolet's saves inside the box have dropped off sharply, from 66.43 percent in his final season at Sunderland to 52.78 percent during his time at Liverpool. This is well below this year's league average of 57.87 percent.

Neto may not often be mentioned in the same breath as Manuel Neuer or Thibaut Courtois, but he would offer a huge improvement on Mignolet.

With Liverpool's defence safe in the knowledge that they have a reliable 'keeper backing them up, they can focus on their own game and become slightly more solid.

Replacing Mignolet is imperative and Neto would shore up a huge weak spot in the team, but at best he can only mitigate Liverpool's defensive woes.

With him, the Reds would certainly be able to improve on their current eighth-place position. To truly challenge for a UEFA Champions league spot, improving the rest of their defence will also be critical. 

Xherdan Shaqiri

David Maddock of the Mirror reports that Bayern Munich's Swiss star is a top target for Rodgers.

The 23-year-old is supremely talented but has struggled to establish himself in Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side. Shaqiri has played just 338 minutes of Bundesliga football this season, whereas he would command a starting berth on Merseyside.

The youngster also impressed for Switzerland in 2014, scoring six times. This included a World Cup hat-trick against Honduras, which showed prowess from distance (from the start, below) and instinctive finishing (1:48).

Shaqiri is versatile and can play around the attacking midfield and forward positions.

Bleacher Report's own Jack Lusby throws an interesting stat comparison into the mix:

Despite playing much less football, the midfielder has contributed goals and assists at a far higher rate than Liverpool's current crop.

At £10 million, Shaqiri would be a real bargain in today's market. A Champions League-quality player, he would be a coup who would give Liverpool a great chance of challenging Arsenal for fourth.

Despite his relatively tender age, Shaqiri is an experienced player and can add a decisiveness that Liverpool have lacked this season.

With his best years still ahead of him, Shaqiri would not only transform the Reds' season, he'd also be a strong long-term replacement for the departing Steven Gerrard.

Ezequiel Lavezzi

Per Samuel Petrequin of the Daily Mail, Lavezzi is unsettled at the Parc des Princes after being fined for returning late to training from Paris Saint-Germain's midseason break. 

The Argentine star has struggled somewhat for form this season, scoring and assisting twice in 19 appearances.

However, a change of scenery and a new challenge in England could reinvigorate the forward. He, in turn, could reinvigorate Liverpool.

In his five years at Napoli, Lavezzi registered 48 goals and 49 assists, a number of which can be seen below. His strong dribbling and crossing skills (1:04) create numerous chances for his team-mates, and this will help Liverpool immeasurably, particularly when the clinical Sturridge returns from injury.

Further, he frequently draws fouls from the opposition—17 so far this season—reminiscent of Luis Suarez. With him earning dangerous free-kicks and penalties for Gerrard to put away, he could contribute a lot to Rodgers' side.

He may not be as gifted or decisive as Suarez, but Lavezzi would go some way to replacing the Uruguayan's contribution to the team's play. His creativity in forward areas makes him an ideal partner for Sturridge, who will look to feed off the chances Lavezzi creates.

At 29, Lavezzi isn't the most long-term signing in the world. But for the remainder of this season and the near future, he would be a very useful acquisition for the Reds.