Liverpool Transfer News: Latest Lucas Leiva, Christian Benteke Rumours

Liverpool have already brought in a host of new players and the summer transfer window has barely opened.

Southampton's Nathaniel Clyne is their latest confirmed signing, and he joins Roberto Firmino, Danny Ings, James Milner, Joe Gomez and Adam Bogdan as new recruits at Anfield, per BBC Sport.

The Reds now need to start offloading some dead wood, and Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva could seemingly be the first to depart.

According to MailOnline's Sami Mokbel, Liverpool are willing to listen to offers for the 28-year-old defensive midfielder, who arrived at Anfield in 2007.

Serie A giants Inter Milan are set to go in for Lucas as they look to bolster their midfield and have been in contact with Liverpool, though they have yet to make a bid, per Italian outlet Tuttosport (h/t talkSPORT's Jack Austin). 

Inter were reportedly interested in signing Lucas back in January for £7 million, per the Mirror's David Maddock, but the switch never materialised. 

With Reds boss Brendan Rodgers clearly set on re-building his underperforming squad from last season, Lucas may very well be let go, having not played a huge role in 2014-15, starting 16 league games, per WhoScored.

However, Liverpool should not be too hasty in letting the Brazil international go, as he has been a consistent performer for them since he arrived in the Premier League, per Opta:

As a combative midfielder, he could still be a huge asset for Liverpool as they are not overrun with such players.

Furthermore, if Rodgers is eager to shift a few non-essential players, underwhelming strike trio Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini should surely be the first to go. 

In an attempt to bolster their poor attacking unit, Liverpool have long been linked with a move for Aston Villa's Christian Benteke. 

Anfield insider Graham Beecroft on talkSPORT recently suggested the Belgian is on the verge of a move to Anfield.

Villa are apparently refusing to budge on Benteke's fee and will accept no less than the striker's £32.5 million release clause, per Laurie Whitwell in the Daily Mail. 

While very expensive, Liverpool should be able to meet such a fee, especially as they are likely to make a significant sum from the sale of Raheem Sterling, per Bleacher Report's Graham Ruthven:

However, according to James Whaling in the Mirror, Villa reportedly remain defiant in their bid to keep Benteke and have thus included him in their kit launch teaser: 

The Midlands club would, of course, love to keep the 24-year-old for another season, but in all likelihood, he will not be donning a Villa shirt next season.

Villa are quite right to refuse to budge on their asking price, though, and the Reds will surely have to meet it, as they need a top-quality striker.

With Luis Suarez gone and Daniel Sturridge injured for much of the season, Liverpool were catastrophically short on strikers in 2014-15 and dropped out of the Premier League elite.

Benteke could solve that problem, but the Reds will have to cough up the cash, as Villa are not going to let him go quietly.