Liverpool Transfer News: Latest on Christian Benteke and Mario Gotze Rumours

Christian Benteke's move to Liverpool is nearing completion as the striker is set for a medical with the Reds.

According to Chris McKenna of the Daily Star, Liverpool are flying "a club doctor back from Australia—where the team is on tour—to examine the Belgium star."

Despite suffering from a lengthy Achilles injury that kept him out of action for much of 2014, the BBC's Ben Smith believes the medical will run smoothly:

Brendan Rodgers is keen to add goals to his team after Liverpool failed to compensate for the departure of Luis Suarez last season.

Per McKenna's report, the Anfield boss said: "It was just clear we needed to score more goals. A few years ago we needed to improve our goal tally and we did that and it gave the team a little bit of profit. I feel it was the same this summer. We were down on our goals."

Benteke has enjoyed a prolific spell in his time at Aston Villa and last season scored 15 goals in all competitions following his return from injury.

The Mirror's John Cross believes he will be a successful acquisition for the Reds:

The powerful striker is a proven quantity in the Premier League, which is important for Liverpool, but he could struggle if the Reds maintain the same style of play.

As ESPN's Alex Shaw notes, Benteke's main strength is in the air—a strength Liverpool don't currently play to:

Benteke's move seems all but inevitable at this point, but it will take some serious adapting on either the player or the club's behalf for Liverpool to fully reap the rewards.

Liverpool Target Mario Gotze Told to Stay at Bayern Munich

According to Goal's Miles Chambers, former Bayern star Franz Beckenbauer has urged Mario Gotze to remain at the Allianz Arena. Speaking to Kicker, he said:

"

I'd stay with Bayern if I were him. That's where he has the best conditions available and the best education.

Mario has to prevail… Giving up is the worst thing he can do. This is the sort of situation a footballer always encounters, at some point he has to take it on.

"

Gotze has been linked away from Bayern after failing to show off the spectacular form that earned him his move from Borussia Dortmund, with the Daily Express (h/t the Telegraph) reporting him as a Liverpool target, while Chambers' report cites Juventus as a prospective destination.

Felice Calabro'/Associated Press

Bleacher Report's own Bundesliga expert Clark Whitney illustrates how the 23-year-old has struggled to establish himself as a key player in Munich:

Nevertheless, Gotze scored 15 goals and made three assists in all competitions last season, and his outstanding technique and creativity would benefit Liverpool immensely, more than replacing the departed Raheem Sterling.

However, with boss Pep Guardiola insisting that Gotze's future lies with Bayern, per Mark Doyle of Goal, a move seems unlikely this summer.

If he were to leave, Juventus would seem a much more likely destination as the opportunities for Champions League football and silverware are much higher.