Liverpool Transfer News: Ezequiel Lavezzi Rumours and Ashley Williams Claim

Liverpool may get the chance to sign Paris Saint-Germain striker Ezequiel Lavezzi next summer. That is, if you believe some fairly tenuous rumours linking the Anfield club with the wantaway attacker.

Meanwhile, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has criticised Liverpool for opting not to sign Swansea City's Ashley Williams during the last few years.

Beginning with Lavezzi, the player confirmed he's "likely" to leave the Ligue 1 powerhouse when his current contract expires next summer. The veteran Argentina international made the claim during an interview with French station Telefoot (h/t talkSPORT's Adam Jones): "I think it's my last year in Paris. But I'm okay and I want to finish it the best way possible. You never know what can happen. Today I want to stay, tomorrow we'll see."

Jones identifies Liverpool and fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur as possible suitors for the 30-year-old. Meanwhile, Chisanga Malata of the Daily Star puts Liverpool together with Arsenal and bitter foe Manchester United as teams who have shown a previous interest in Lavezzi.

Back in June, Spanish website Fichajes.net (h/t Mirror reporter James Whaling) claimed the Merseyside club "made an offer" for Lavezzi. However, those rumours went quiet pretty quickly.

Frankly, a Liverpool pursuit of Lavezzi makes some sense. He offers something different than current centre-forward of choice Christian Benteke.

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While the beefy Belgian is an aerial powerhouse, Lavezzi is the proverbial quick and nippy livewire. He's adept at playing through the middle or ghosting off the flanks to attack between the lines.

Those qualities suit the expansive combination passing manager Brendan Rodgers tries to preach at Anfield. With Daniel Sturridge often struggling to shake off injuries, it's not as if the Reds have an obvious alternative to Benteke or a potential partner for the ex-Aston Villa star. Lavezzi would serve as both.

At the moment, though, this rumour looks a lot like people putting two and two together to get five, rather than a concrete link. Sure, Lavezzi may leave the French capital, but his interview with Telefoot also offered plenty of reasons why he'd like to stay.

Any previous interest Liverpool have shown doesn't guarantee the Merseyside club renewing an interest in Lavezzi, even if the versatile attacker would add a lot to the Reds' forward line.

Ferdinand Claims Liverpool Should Have Signed Williams

It's got to be galling for Liverpool when a former United defender tells the club where it's gone wrong. Especially when he's right.

Ex-Red Devils centre-back Ferdinand tweeted Liverpool and Arsenal missed a trick when they didn't sign Williams during the last few years:

Ferdinand was watching Swansea City central defender Williams help Wales to a 0-0 draw against Israel in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, per BBC Wales Sport's Dafydd Pritchard.

Just like with Lavezzi, there are previous reports linking Liverpool with a move for Williams. In April, Mirror reporter Dean Jones suggested Rodgers was ready to move for the defender he worked with at Swansea.

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Two years earlier, the Guardian's Andy Hunter reported Rodgers' belief that his history with Williams would help Liverpool win a bidding war against Arsenal and manager Arsene Wenger.

It's clear the interest has been there. It's also clear Ferdinand is absolutely right to claim Williams is better than the defenders Liverpool have recruited in his place.

The 31-year-old is more combative and assured than both Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho. He's got that ideal Premier League mix of rugged physicality combined with underrated technique on the ball.

While players around him have changed at Swansea, Williams has been a constant. He's the rock the club's march to the Premier League and subsequent stability in England's top flight has been built upon.

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Leaving Arsenal aside for the moment, Liverpool could certainly have benefited from a defender this savvy and miserly. Still, Rodgers will point to the three clean sheets out of four his present-day defence has kept so far in the league, as proof of its quality.

The Reds may no longer be on the hunt for another defender, but with the Merseyside club having scored just two league goals in four matches, Rodgers ought to monitor Lavezzi's situation with a keen eye.