Liverpool Transfer News: Latest Gonzalo Higuain, Dani Ceballos Rumours

Liverpool are reportedly looking at Napoli's Gonzalo Higuain as a possible January transfer target, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net (h/t Metro's Tom Olver).

Per the report, the Argentina international would cost the Reds £33 million, and he would provide manager Brendan Rodgers with an alternative to the often-injured Daniel Sturridge.

Higuain has started the 2015-16 season in tremendous form, finding the net regularity for the Partenopei. As shared by Squawka Football, his recent record is impressive:

The 27-year-old has been a consistent producer since moving to Serie A from Real Madrid, leading Napoli's attack through one of their most successful spells in recent history. His performances haven't translated to the national team, where he has been plagued by blunders and gaffes as Argentina lost back-to-finals at the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America.

Brooks Peck of Dirty Tackle summarised some of his biggest blunders, and it's not exactly a fun read. His poor performances for Argentina have clouded the perception people have of him, overshadowing his consistent strong play for Napoli.

David Amoyal, a translator for Gianluca Di Marzio, believes he's currently the best player in all of Italy:

Higuain's strong form was highlighted with a wonder goal in the Europa League against Legia Warsaw, and it shouldn't come as a big surprise that these transfer rumours are surfacing at this particular time.

In reality, a transfer of the Argentinian seems far less likely now than it did at the end of the season, when Napoli's failure to qualify for the Champions League could have led to an exit.

Calciomercato (h/t Football Italia) believes the Partenopei are preparing a contract extension as we speak, and the player himself told La Repubblica (h/t Football Italia) how much he likes working with manager Maurizio Sarri:

"

We talk very much. Sustaining a good dialogue with your Coach is essential for a footballer.

I have a good understanding with Sarri, ever since the first day of the pre-seasonal training.

Sarri was close to me during the summer, he made me feel at ease and at the heart of his tactical project.

It's nice to feel someone's respect and under these premises it wasn't difficult to start a good relationship.

"

The odds of Higuain leaving Napoli in January look minuscule at best, especially for the rumoured fee of £33 million, but even if he did wish to leave, Liverpool makes little sense as a destination. The Reds just threw plenty of cash at Christian Benteke during the summer and Danny Ings is also on the books―they're not going to do the same just a few months later at yet another forward.

Rodgers' future looks anything but secure, via Sky Sports, and the last thing he'll be doing right now is worrying about the January window; he needs to be focused on the immediate future.

As far as transfer rumours go, this one doesn't look very likely to come to fruition.

Dani Ceballos to Decide on Future

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Spanish newspaper Marca (h/t Daily Mirror's Aaron Flanagan) claims Real Betis star Dani Ceballos will sit with club officials during the international break to come to a decision regarding his future, with his contract set to end at the end of this season.

The 19-year-old has emerged as one of Spain's top playmakers and is a transfer target for Arsenal and Liverpool, per Flanagan. As noted by talkSPORT, Marca believes the Reds have stepped up their interest in signing the talented teenager.

Ceballos' future has been a hotly debated topic in Spain, and via Jamie Kemp of El Rondo, Marca have enjoyed reporting on the matter:

The Spanish midfielder looked mightily impressive in helping Betis gain promotion to La Liga in 2014-15, and while his talent is obvious, it's far too early to start talking about multi-million transfers.

A contract extension with Betis seems far more likely, giving the youngster the chance to continue his development while the club have a chance to hold out for a significant transfer fee.

As a free transfer, Ceballos would be an interesting prospect for the Reds and an incredible capture should he sign, but it's too early to start talking about the teenager as a potential free agent.

If in two months he still hasn't signed a deal, things might change, but for now, an extended stay with Betis remains the obvious choice for Ceballos.

Follow @ReverschPass