Liverpool Transfer News: Rumours on Mauro Icardi, Lucas Leiva Not Leaving

Liverpool are making their interest known in Inter's £32 million-rated forward, Mauro Icardi, but any deal won't see Lucas Leiva moving in the opposite direction this January.

According to the Daily Star (h/t The Independent's Tom Sheen), the Reds are ready to do battle with Chelsea in the race to sign Icardi, who has 14 goals in 24 Inter outings this season.

Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

However, Sheen adds that the deal would only be likely to go through should the Nerazzurri miss out on Champions League football, something Liverpool maintain very slight hopes of achieving themselves.

Ten of Icardi's goals this term have come in Serie A, but the 21-year-old starlet isn't keen to stop there, quoted by the official Inter website (h/t Goal's Stefan Coerts) as saying he desires even more:

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If the ball comes to me in the air, I have to find the back of the net. We've signed players that put quality into the box and I hope to score another 10 goals, if not more. Podolski and Shaqiri have come in and we've got pace up front. 

We need to give it everything and make sure the San Siro crowd are always celebrating. We need to keep going. We put in a great second-half performance against Juventus and we need to try and reproduce that for the full 90 minutes.

"

It's that kind of forward-thinking attitude Liverpool have at times lost in the absence of Daniel Sturridge, who still remains a missed figure at Anfield.

As Julian De Martinis of ESPN FC points out, the Italian top flight has been particularly accommodating for Argentinian strikers this season:

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4 of Serie A's top 5 scorers this season are Argentine: Tevez, Dybala, Higuain, Icardi (only Callejon isn't).

— Julian De Martinis (@JulianDM11) January 9, 2015"

Icardi would be the second attacker to come from Milan in as many summers following the 2014 arrival of Mario Balotelli from the Rossoneri.

However, Bleacher Report writer Matteo Bonetti has picked out Napoli's Gonzalo Higuain as the man who could make for a more ideal fit on Merseyside:

Despite Inter's interest in the anchorman, Lucas won't be making his way to Italy this month, though, after manager Brendan Rodgers placed a hands-off tag on his Brazilian midfielder.

Andy Kelly of the Liverpool Echo writes that both Napoli and Inter have shown interest in Lucas' signature, but Rodgers dashed away any hopes they'd have in cutting a deal, quoted as saying:

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No, he is not one that we would want to lose in January. There will be speculation over the course of the month on a lot of players. It is not something I would be willing to do in January. Of course at the end of the season everything is looked at again but the team is in a good momentum. We have had nothing from them (Inter). I think he's just enjoying playing and he's playing very well.

"

Lucas' time in the English top flight has been riddled with injury, but when the recently turned 28-year-old is at his best, he has the ability to bring a specialist holding presence to their ranks.

In fact, Squawka points out just how successful the Reds have been this season with their anchor as opposed to without him:

Inter manager Roberto Mancini will be well-acquainted with Lucas from his time as manager of Manchester City, running into the player on several occasions.

David Amoyal of GianlucaDiMarzio.com goes on to add the Italian is a "big fan" of Lucas', and should Yann M'Vila complete a move away from the San Siro, it would only strengthen their interest in cutting a deal:

Given Liverpool's struggles of late, one would think the club wouldn't be willing to sell their players, big or small, as they go about establishing squad depth for the second half of the season.

Rodgers spares no expense in detailing just how important he sees Lucas for the time being, and with Steven Gerrard's time at the club coming to a close, his presence may be even more important as things progress.