Liverpool Transfer News: Big-Money Signings Outlined in Latest Reds Rumours

Manchester United have reportedly moved ahead of Liverpool in the race to land AS Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Tom Oliver of Metro), the Red Devils are preparing a £29 million bid for the combative star, who they now see as a better option than the injury-ravaged Kevin Strootman.

Here’s a look at the kind of qualities the Belgian international would bring to the north-west:

For Liverpool, Nainggolan would be an ideal acquisition. The 26-year-old boasts unrelenting energy, a ferocity in the tackle and an understated intelligence on the ball, too. For Brendan Rodgers’ high-octane brand of play, he’d be the perfect player to slot into central midfield alongside skipper-in-waiting Jordan Henderson.

As noted by WhoScored.com, he’s not afraid to have a pop from distance either:

Here’s how he shapes up in comparison to some of the Reds’ other central midfield options:

	Nainggolan	Henderson	Gerrard	Allen
Apps (Sub)	19 (4)	26 (1)	20 (2)	10 (5)
Goals	3	4	6	0
Assists	1	7	1	0
Passes per Game	58.1	58.8	53	36.4
Key Passes per Game	1.1	1.7	1.9	0.6
Tackles per Game	2.6	2.4	1.8	2.1
Dribbles per Game	1.1	0.4	0.1	0.6

But given United’s strive for balance at the heart of their team, it’s easy to see why they’d be interested in the Giallorossi man, too. Ultimately, much looks set to depend on which team grasps that elusive fourth place in the Premier League this season; the added incentive of Champions League football could well tip the balance in the favour of either side.

Pangeran Siahaan of beIN Sports thinks that Nainggolan has all the attributes to flourish at an elite club:

For either side, Nainggolan would be a major coup. But given the way Liverpool are playing at this juncture and the intensity that oozes from every performance, the Belgian would find it easier to flourish at Anfield amidst a set of principles that seem tailor-made for his game.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

One player who doesn’t look likely to be joining up with the Reds at the end of the season is Alexandre Lacazette, however. That’s after Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas told the club’s official website (h/t Liam Corless of the Mirror) that a move away is not going to happen.

“Impossible,” said Aulas when asked about the possibility of selling the centre-forward. “He will be with us at the Stade des Lumieres and in the Champions League.”

Xavier Laine/Getty Images

Here’s a look at why Lacazette has been attracting so much attention this season:

Indeed, there have been few players in the French top flight who have performed quite as well as the forward. Lacazette is the crown jewel of this burgeoning Lyon side, and while their form has dropped a little as of late, they remain very much in contention to land a shock league title win come the end of the campaign.

Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

As noted by Robin Bairner earlier on in the campaign, Lacazette has been in record-breaking goalscoring form to fire Lyon to the summit of Ligue 1:

For Liverpool to land Lacazette would be another major feather in their cap. His direct, incisive and increasingly refined brand of centre-forward play would make him a perfect partner for Daniel Sturridge at the forefront of the Reds’ attack, and his dynamic qualities would see him blossom as a player at Anfield.

But Lyon’s willingness to keep hold of such an exciting player is wholly understandable. They seem to be building a bright young side under the tutelage of Herbert Fournier, and with a new stadium set to be opened down the line, selling the club’s best player wouldn’t set a positive precedent moving forward.