Liverpool Transfer News: Sam Byram Nears £8M Move, Geoffrey Kondogbia Rumours

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is reportedly "closing in" on signing Leeds United full-back Sam Byram, according to Jeremy Cross of the Daily Star. Although the Championship club is said to value the 21-year-old at £10 million, Cross indicates a compromise of £8 million is a possibility.

The aforementioned report details how Rodgers "has sent scouts to watch him in action more than six times." The Northern Irish manager also reportedly watched the exciting player himself in March, with Liverpool now moving into "pole position" to land his signature, per Cross.

Byram possesses natural attacking instincts on the right and could slot into Rodgers' 3-4-2-1 formation without any hassle. Although largely playing as a right-back this campaign, the Englishman has been deployed further upfield when needed. Three goals and one assist—not to mention seven yellows and one red card, per WhoScored.com—underline Byram's all-action, full-blooded style.

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Speaking about his future at the end of March, Byram admitted he knows the hard work must continue, per Tim Thornton of Sky Sports, saying, "I have just have to keep my feet on the ground and not get carried away."

Rodgers is said to also be "watching" Monaco midfield destroyer Geoffrey Kondogbia, reported by Simon Jones of the MailOnline. Jones believes the Frenchman has "impressed" Liverpool scouts after an excellent turn of form. There's no doubt the Reds need additional quality in central midfield.

Saturday's 4-1 defeat to Arsenal provided a snapshot of what life may be like when Steven Gerrard heads to Los Angeles Galaxy at the end of the season. Neither Joe Allen nor Lucas Leiva possess the physicality to impose themselves on top-quality opposition. They aren't creative, dominant in the air or the kind of players who burst from deep to score goals. 

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Kondogbia could provide the defensive shield for Jordan Henderson to freely fill this role. We saw during Monaco's Champions League round-of-16 first-leg victory over Arsenal how the former can dictate possession with his assurance on the ball and ability to break up play. He isn't much of a goalscorer but is the type of player who allows more incisive stars to go about their business.

At 22, Kondogbia is just starting to hit his stride. His qualities are highlighted below:

Fifth-placed Liverpool are currently seven points outside the top four with just six games remaining. Fourth-placed Manchester City travel to third-placed Manchester United on April 12, so something's got to give here. Rodgers' men will hope their Red Devil rivals can beat the Premier League champions to at least provide some hope of qualification for Europe's top competition.

Players such as Kondogbia are likely to crave Champions League football, especially after experiencing a successful run this year. Liverpool need to quickly improve and hope other results go their way if they are to compete for the most coveted players in the summer transfer market.