Liverpool Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Radja Nainggolan, Mamadou Sakho

Liverpool have reportedly entered the Radja Nainggolan sweepstakes, as the latest transfer rumours indicate the Reds are looking to steal the AS Roma midfielder from under the nose of Premier League rivals Manchester United.

Nainggolan, a Belgium international who is co-owned by Roma and Cagliari, established himself as one of Serie A's top midfielders last season, and the Daily Express (h/t Metro's Louis Sealey), suggests both Liverpool and United will push hard for a summer move.

Rumours surfaced earlier this week that the Mancunians were already negotiating with the Giallorossi, although Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst immediately refuted those:

Often compared to Juventus' Arturo Vidal―and not just for his wacky hair―the 27-year-old is a powerful, aggressive midfielder with fantastic range and athleticism. He can score, but his main value lies in his ability to win the ball quickly and set up the attack with his passing.

He has developed tremendously in the last two seasons, going from an afterthought in Belgium's crowded midfield to starting against and dominating France in a friendly earlier this week.

Football Italia's Aman Sehdev thinks Roma's top priority during the summer should be holding onto Nainggolan, and any interested club will have to be willing to pay top dollar for the Belgian:

The Giallorossi were hit with sanctions for breaking the financial fair play rules last season, via Sky Sports, but back-to-back entries to the UEFA Champions League should boost their finances tremendously. And then there's also the matter of the co-ownership, which will further complicate a deal.

As shared by Gianluca Di Marzio's David Amoyal, it will be impossible to move for Nainggolan before the current situation is resolved, and ESPN FC's Julian De Martinis knows that's easier said than done:

"

Trying to buy Nainggolan from Cagliari is like negotiating with a 4 year old.

— Julian De Martinis (@JulianDM11) June 11, 2015"

Even if Roma were willing to sell the player―which they likely won't be―they'll be forced to invest in Nainggolan first, only driving up his price even further. Cagliari were relegated to Serie B, so Nainggolan will eventually be sold to Roma, but any interested club will be looking at a transfer fee north of £25 million.

The Belgian is well worth such a fee, but the complicated nature of a transfer all but rules out a move during the summer. Perhaps Liverpool can return to Roma once everything gets resolved, but for now, don't expect an official bid to be lodged anytime soon.

Mamadou Sakho Denies Transfer Rumours

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

French defender Mamadou Sakho has no plans to leave the club during the summer, expressing his desire to accomplish 'great things” with the squad in the near future.

As reported by the Daily Star's Marc Williams, the centre-back was asked whether he could leave and gave a clear answer, saying: "Not at all. I feel good at Liverpool, I play.

"I like Liverpool, next season I’ll still be a Red, because I still have to prove many things over there. I like the club, it’s a young and skilled team. I hope to achieve great things with this club."

He also took to Twitter to express his gratitude when fans showed up with Liverpool shirts while he was away on international duty:

The 25-year-old appeared in just 16 Premier League fixtures last season, per WhoScored.com, but he was a regular member of the starting XI toward the end of the season and performed more than adequately.

It marked the second straight season he made less than 20 appearances for the club in the Premier League, and at times, it has almost seemed as if manager Brendan Rodgers simply doesn't trust the Frenchman.

As shared by Rated LFC, it's difficult to see why, as all statistics point to the fact Sakho easily sits among the top young defenders in the league:

"

Mamadou Sakho has been enormous for #LFC this season. All stats points towards that - £15m well spent pic.twitter.com/VuRi4E6Eus

— Rated LFC (@Liverpool_Rated) June 2, 2015"

Consistency has been the main issue for Sakho, but then again, the entire Reds' defence went through bad stretches last year. With one or two key signings, the group should find its best form again during the summer, and Sakho is expected to be a part of the starting XI on the first matchday of the Premier League season.

There may have been one or two interested clubs hoping to take advantage of the uncertainty surrounding Sakho, but the defender made it very clear he isn't going anywhere.

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