Liverpool Transfer News: Star Names, Top Rumours Linked to the Reds

Liverpool’s attempts to restructure their squad show no signs of halting, with reports suggesting the club are ready to step up their interest in Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi this week.

That’s according to Tom Hopkinson of the Sunday People (h/t the Sunday Mirror) who wrote that Reds boss Brendan Rodgers has already had a £10.6 million offer for the Spaniard turned down. But “sources close to Real” have apparently claimed that a £15 million bid has now been tabled.

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Hopkinson claims that Illarramendi is aware he is not fancied by new Real boss Rafael Benitez and is keen on moving to Anfield.

Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe thinks that if the deal was to go ahead, it’d be brilliant business by the Merseysiders:

Liverpool may have already bolstered their midfield options with the industry of James Milner and the intricacy of Roberto Firmino, but Illarramendi would potentially knit things together brilliantly. He may be out of favour at the Santiago Bernabeu, but it’s worth remembering just how talented a holding midfielder he is.

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Indeed, as we can see here courtesy of WhoScored.com, on the rare occasions he did feature for Real last season, the 25-year-old performed pretty well:

Illarrmendi, a sitting player with a tremendous range of passing, was drafted in at Real with many seeing him as a long-term replacement for Xabi Alonso. But his stock has fallen in the Spanish capital, with his appearances often limited to stints off the bench late in games or in lesser encounters.

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Liverpool could be getting a brilliant playmaker at the base of their midfield if they were to land the Spaniard, but as noted by Ell Bretland, signing players from abroad with big reputations hasn’t necessarily worked out well for the Reds in the past:

Perhaps that’s why the club remain keen on Christian Benteke, a player well acquainted with English football, according to Simon Mullock of the Sunday Mirror. He wrote that Liverpool value the Aston Villa man at £25 million, but negotiations have stalled, with the Midlands club standing firm on their £32.5 million valuation.

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The Belgian would certainly bring something different to this Liverpool attack. He’s an indomitable physical presence, possesses polished hold-up play and is monstrous when it comes to attacking aerial balls. As is evident by the 13 goals he scored last season in the Premier League last season, he knows where the back of the net is too, per WhoScored.com.

But football editor Melissa Reddy doesn’t think he’s the right fit for the Reds:

With Liverpool seemingly intent on spending big this summer, it’s been assumed that there will be some major outgoings, with Raheem Sterling looking the most likely to leave the club. As noted by Maddock, Manchester City are big admirers of the England international and have had two big bids rejected for the player.

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But, as quoted in the aforementioned piece, a source close to the club has revealed that Liverpool’s transfer business has not been planned on the assumption Sterling will leave:

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Our transfer plans were put in place well before Raheem made it clear that he would not be signing a new contact and wanted to leave. The owners would not do business on the basis that they expected to sell one of the club’s best players.

We have done some early transfer business, but that’s not unusual. We had exactly the same approach last year. It does not mean that we have to sell Raheem Sterling to balance the books.

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Maddock wrote that Liverpool value Sterling at around £50 million and it seems increasingly clear that the Reds will be unwilling to cash in for any amount that fails to live up to that cornerstone sum.

But not only would the potential sale of Sterling free up funds to bolster the squad in other areas, it would afford the chance to some other players currently in the squad to make a name for themselves. Bleacher Report’s Graham Ruthven took a look at which young stars are set to step up to the mark next season:

Liverpool have conducted some brilliant business before the transfer window has even opened and the acquisitions seem to point towards a bright campaign to come. But rarely do we see an influx of talent come into a club during the summer months and it all clicks into gear immediately.

From a Reds perspective, hopefully some major lessons have been learned from the scattergun approach to transfer dealings last summer and Rodgers does a better job integrating these star players into the squad. If he doesn’t, then the pressure will quickly fall on the much maligned Liverpool boss.