Liverpool Transfer News: Rumours Surrounding Sardar Azmoun and Alvaro Arbeloa

Italian reports suggest Liverpool will battle Tottenham Hotspur for the signature of Rubin Kazan's highly rated attacker Sardar Azmoun—dubbed "the Iranian Lionel Messi."

Aaron Flanagan of the Mirror cites Calcio Mercato as saying the Anfield giants will fight the north London team for the player's signature after Azmoun's sparkling performances in the Russian Premier League.

Flanagan says the player only has a £5 million price tag on his head, making him a very affordable squad option if Brendan Rodgers is able to capture the player.

However, Rubin's CEO, Ayrat Garayev, has moved fast to dismiss any immediate claims his side are prepared to sell the 20-year-old talent, saying, per Flanagan:

"We have had approaches for Sardar, but I see no reason to discuss them until they become official."

Ronald Zak/Associated Press

The player also spoke last year about the interest he had generated and said he dreams of a move to England to fulfil his ambition to play in the Premier League, per Ben Jefferson of the Express:

"

There already are solid offers coming from both Arsenal and AC Milan. Both their representatives are about to meet Rubin Kazan management next Thursday. I'm really happy for such clubs being interested in signing me, and playing in Premier League would be a dream coming true. But now I'm just focused on the remaining part of Russian championship.

"

Epsilon/Getty Images

The youngster has spent most of his time being used as an impact substitute for the Russian team and has made only a handful of starts this term.

His 13 appearances in the league this year have seen him come from the bench on nine occasions, per WhoScored.com, scoring just the once.

The player is relatively unknown in England, but Rodgers may feel now is the right time to capture him before his stock explodes further and other teams pay him more attention.

Football journalist Paul Brown recently commented about Azmoun after his recent international appearance for Iran and made a bold claim about the talent:

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

In other news, Liverpool will face huge competition for the transfer of their former defender Alvaro Arbeloa from Real Madrid, with rumours Chelsea will offer the player a deal.

Jamie Anderson of the Express writes Jose Mourinho is keen on capturing the full-back who played for him during his tenure in the Spanish capital with Los Blancos.

Anderson says Arbeloa is "keen for a change of scenery" and will now decide on whether to rejoin his former employers—whom he left in 2009—or make a switch to either Chelsea or Arsenal. 

The 32-year-old has been an unsung hero for Madrid over the past few seasons, which has seen the famous Spanish club achieve its La Decima Champions League title.

If Rodgers could acquire the player, he would be adding vital experience to a defence that has looked short for well over a year.

Arbeloa would not be a long-term fix for Liverpool, but after spending a huge amount of money in the summer, he would be an affordable option for Rodgers in January.