Calling True or False on 5 Recent Liverpool Transfer Rumours

Last summer Liverpool lost Luis Suarez, their top goalscorer, and signed nine players. It was a summer of upheaval at Anfield.

This summer, Liverpool are to lose Steven Gerrard, their top goalscorer, and need to sign a lot of players to improve their squad. It promises to be another summer of upheaval at Anfield.

Things could be made worse, or better—depending on your viewpoint—if Raheem Sterling should also depart the club.

That would be losing the top two goalscorers, like Suarez and Daniel Sturridge last season, effectively this season.

Rodgers needs to sign at least one forward, he'd also be wise to add a right-back, a goalkeeper as back-up to Simon Mignolet and a midfielder—or two—to help replace Gerrard.

It looks like being a long summer for Liverpool.

Here we call true or false on the latest rumours—based on the source of the rumours and whether the interest appears to be genuine or not.

Danny Ings

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Let's begin with the most reported and most likely. Danny Ings has been linked with a move to Liverpool for several months now, with his Burnley contract expiring this summer.

According to the Mirror's David Anderson, Liverpool will pay Burnley between £3 million and £5 million for the Englishman this summer, thus avoiding a tribunal.

Rodgers has a strong relationship with Burnley boss Sean Dyche, and the Liverpool boss could allow Jerome Sinclair to join the Clarets on loan next season, according to the reliable Paul Joyce of the Express.

Verdict: TRUE

Inigo Martinez

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Liverpool scouts were in attendance to watch Real Sociedad centre-back Inigo Martinez in action against Barcelona at the weekend, according to the Independent's Simon Rice.

Rice reports that the 23-year-old has a £21.7 million release clause.

The immediate thoughts that spring to mind here are a) whether Liverpool need to be spending such a large chunk of their transfer fee on another centre-back, and b) whether they need another predominantly left-sided centre-back.

Rodgers already spent £20 million on left-sided central defender Dejan Lovren, despite having spent £18 million on Mamadou Sakho the summer before.

Martinez is left-footed but has played on the right of the two centre-backs frequently too, so perhaps he's a long-term replacement for Martin Skrtel?

Verdict: TRUE

Jeremy Menez

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According to Dominic King of the Daily Mail, Rodgers is looking to recruit a "high-class, experienced forward" this summer.

That, of course, is clearly a position that Liverpool need to strengthen, especially if/when Fabio Borini, Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli depart.

Such a glaring transfer need is also free licence for media to link any player who remotely fits that criteria.

Italian media have therefore linked 28-year-old AC Milan forward Jeremy Menez, according to the Mirror.

This looks like a case of two plus two equalling five, and the player's brother told footmercato.net (via James Benge in the London Evening Standard) that reports of any such move are "just rumours."

Verdict: FALSE

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

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"Liverpool will push ahead with interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang," report the Mirror.

The versatile 25-year-old would fit the criteria of being experienced, good quality but also still relatively young, so you can see why he should be of interest to Liverpool.

Whether there is any truth to the speculation is dubious, though, with reports so far being pretty tenuous and not from any of the reliable Merseyside-based reporters.

Verdict: FALSE

Raheem Sterling to Leave This Summer

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And finally, a departure. Another high-profile one if it happened.

According to reports this week, Raheem Sterling is preparing to put his Merseyside home up for sale and has begun looking for property in London, per the Daily Mail.

Sterling's much-discussed contract situation means his future is far from clear, with former Liverpool defender Phil Thompson saying he expects the 20-year-old to depart this summer.

He’s shown all the signs that he’s ready and prepared to leave the club,” Thompson told Sky Sports (h/t This Is Anfield).

These reports could have substance, but they could be another tool in the armour of Sterling's representatives to either engineer a move away this summer, or to get the contract they desire.

Verdict: TRUE