Liverpool Transfer News: Latest on James Milner, Fresh Jackson Martinez Rumours

Manchester City’s James Milner is reportedly on the radar of Italian giants Roma, potentially landing Liverpool and Arsenal a major blow in their pursuit of the 29-year-old.

As noted by Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Jamie Anderson of the Daily Star), the England international midfielder is stalling on a new deal with the champions and Giallorossi sporting director Walter Sabatini has already spoken to the player about a potential move to Serie A.

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For City, not only would Milner’s departure be unpopular with the fans, but they’d be losing a player who seems to have stepped up his game as of late too, per Match of the Day's Twitter account:

Throughout his career, Milner has been boxed as a willing player capable of doing a job in myriad positions on the field. But to brand him as a jack of all trades and master of none would be very harsh on the 29-year-old, for he is an understatedly talented footballer, capable of picking passes, taking on opposition defenders and scoring goals too.

For Brendan Rodgers, to land Milner on a free transfer would represent a major coup. He’s not a sexy name, of course, but to have a player of his experience, quality and endeavour in the squad—especially with Steven Gerrard leaving this summer—would be a major asset to this burgeoning team.

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If it’s a straight choice between the Merseyside club and the Emirates, given Milner’s apparent desire for regular first-team football coupled with the Gunners’ vast array of midfield men, you’d have to say Anfield currently looks the most desirable destination. But the prospect of testing himself abroad might well be something the England man is keen on doing.

Another player that Arsenal and the Reds are both apparently interested in is Porto star Jackson Martinez. But it seems as though the Londoners are in the box-seat to land the Colombian striker, with reports from Spain's Fichajes.net (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro) claiming that the Gunners are set to launch a £25.4 million bid for the forward.

Here’s a look at why the 28-year-old would command such a sizeable fee:

With neither Fabio Borini or Rickie Lambert impressing this season and perennial murmurings about the future of Mario Balotelli, per Elliott Bretland of the Mail Online, the Reds could well be on the lookout for a forward this summer and Martinez is a player who would definitely add a different edge to Liverpool’s attacking forays.

As illustrated very recently, the Colombian is a player who has a silky touch to complement his burly somatotype too, per Howler Magazine:

The Porto man is a class act and as his 22 goals this season demonstrate, per WhoScored.com, he’s a player who knows where the back of the net is. But at this juncture, he’s not a forward who ties in with Rodgers’ bespoke mantras and subsequently, for a fee of £25.4 million, it’s not a deal likely to happen for the Reds.

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The Liverpool boss likes to bring in young players with raw but malleable talent, moulding them into adaptable stars who can occupy a number of tactical roles with diligence. Martinez isn’t that type of player and while his rumbustious, refined brand of centre-forward play would bring a different option at the sharp end of the pitch, he’s not the right fit for the Anfield club at this juncture.