Gonzalo Higuain Boost for Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers Addresses January Rumours

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has ruled out the prospect of making any January signings, but the Reds have been handed a reported boost in the club’s apparent pursuit of Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain.

According to reports in Italy (h/t Ben Jefferson of the Daily Express), the Argentina forward will be sold by the Naples club at the end of the current campaign, sparking interest from both Arsenal and Liverpool. Here’s a look at what he could potentially add to the fortunes of both sides:

While Liverpool are poised to welcome Daniel Sturridge back to fitness shortly, Rodgers could do with another classy striker in the squad come the end of the current campaign.

Last season, the Reds played their very best football when they deployed a two-striker system and on paper, Higuain looks as though he’s an ideal partner for the England international. Bleacher Report’s Matteo Bonetti ran the rule over the 27-year-old recently and thinks that Anfield would be a perfect fit for him:

The Argentina striker is a wonderfully rounded centre-forward, and his fine linkup play would enhance the qualities of players like Sturridge, Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho. He’s a player that has showcased throughout his career that he knows where the back of the net is, too. As we can see here, courtesy of WhoScored.com, Higuain is in prolific form this season:

If Napoli fail to qualify for the Champions League come the end of the season, you suspect that there will be a host of teams looking at signing the Partenopei man.

Fabrizio Giovannozzi/Associated Press/Associated Press

If the Reds still boast ambitions of mixing it with European football’s elite, then they must be in the market for a player of Higuain’s undeniable quality come the end of the campaign—especially if the club isn’t going to make any acquisitions in the final knockings of the January transfer window.

Michel Euler/Associated Press

Rumours emerged suggesting that Liverpool may be looking to bring in Paris Saint-Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi in a last-ditch deal, but ahead of the Reds’ upcoming clash with West Ham United in the Premier League, Rodgers all but ruled out the prospect of any January signings, per Vaishali Bhardwaj of Metro: "Every manager will always want more signings… I would want to be able to do one or two things. But I always said the likelihood was we wouldn’t sign anyone in January and it looks like that is going to be the case."

Jon Super/Associated Press

The manager’s admittance will come as a big disappointment to many who frequent Anfield, especially with the Reds currently in the midst of a decent run of form. But the concerns that engulfed Liverpool at the end of 2014 seem to have been alleviated in earnest, and the mood moving into the second half of the season should be one of positivity.

A new face or two may have helped give this team some extra impetus, but with young players starting to blossom and key men getting closer to full fitness, there shouldn't be any major concerns if Rodgers doesn't to add to his ranks in the last knockings of the window.