Liverpool Transfer News: Miralem Pjanic Talks Held, Raheem Sterling Fears Grow

Brendan Rodgers "is understood to have already met Roma's Director of Football Walter Sabatini" to discuss the transfer of Miralem Pjanic, according to The Telegraph.

The same article suggests Pjanic is "ready to end" his tenure with the capital-based club, although an alleged valuation of £37 million may be the "sticking point" in such a deal.

As tweeted by football writer Adam Digby, Italian publication Corriere dello Sport recently ran a headline on Pjanic's situation:

Sport Witness provided context:

He'd be an exciting investment, although the aforementioned fee is excessive. Pjanic is a hard-working midfielder, someone who is comfortable on the ball and could complement Jordan Henderson's combativeness in the centre. The Bosnian isn't the most prolific tackler—averaging 1.5 per match in Serie A this season, per WhoScored.com—but he combines doggedness and creativity well.

Pjanic's qualities can be seen below:

It will be interesting to see what type of midfield Rodgers builds around once Steven Gerrard departs at the end of the season.

Liverpool have played some excellent football with Henderson and Joe Allen dictating things in the centre during the captain's absence, but Allen's lack of physicality was exposed during the recent loss to Manchester United.

The Welshman keeps the ball moving well and is a smart reader of the game. He isn't the type of player who regularly breaks into the opposition's box, though, and he doesn't fulfill the multifunctional role Rodgers often craves from his players. Pjanic would be a better fit with this in mind.

Sterling and Liverpool 'Miles Apart' in Contract Negotiations

Rodgers may soon have another departure to deal with if Raheem Sterling doesn't ink a new contract. Mike Keegan of MailOnline cites sources who say the player has reportedly rejected a deal worth £100,000.

Stu Forster/Getty Images

"Now, a source close to the negotiations revealed that the club and the player's representative remain 'miles apart' as they seek to agree a new, long-term deal," writes Keegan.

B/R UK's Sam Tighe recently noted how key Sterling can be to Liverpool next season:

Although Sterling is an important player for the club's future, Rodgers can't let him hold the club to ransom. The speedy Englishman's form has suffered in the last couple of weeks, and he doesn't stand to do himself any favours if he demands too much from the club.

Liverpool have been linked with Arsenal's Theo Walcott as a potential replacement, as reported by John Cross of the Mirror. BBC Radio 4's Nick Sutton recently tweeted the Mirror's headline:

Jamie Sanderson of Metro believes United have "entered the race" for Walcott, saying "an offer of regular game time would be difficult to turn down." He needs to be given greater responsibility to excel and may have a better chance of making an impact with either of the two northern clubs.

Rodgers' signings from last summer took a good chunk of the campaign to settle, so it would be profitable for the boss to snap his targets up as quickly as possible.

Liverpool are five points behind fourth-placed United, having suffered a poor run of form up until December, so the club has major room for improvement.