Liverpool Transfer News: Alexandre Pato Blow, Academy Numbers Cut, Top Rumours

Liverpool have been handed a blow in their reported pursuit of Alexandre Pato, and it's also been confirmed the club is to cut down the numbers in its academy setup, choosing to favour quality over quantity.

According to Calciomercato (h/t Will Giles of Metro), Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are intent on bringing the Brazil international striker to the Premier League, with the latter apparently the favourites despite previous claims the Reds had agreed a deal in principle with Corinthians.

Pato, who is on loan at Sao Paulo, has enjoyed something of a career renaissance in his homeland, having previously failed to live up to expectations at Milan.

Indeed, after being heralded as a superstar in the making at the San Siro, things failed to come together for the forward in Serie A, and he returned to Brazil in 2013. This season has been his best since making the big decision to leave European football, netting 26 goals in all competitions to this point.

Fitness issues were a big reason why Pato failed to hit the heights in European football, but they're problems he seems to have overcome as of late, playing consistently for Sao Paulo.

Liverpool aren’t short of strikers, but it’s an area manager Jurgen Klopp may consider bolstering in January. After all, Danny Ings is likely to miss the season through injury, Daniel Sturridge is perennially sidelined, Christian Benteke is still finding his feet at Anfield after a summer move and Divock Origi is a raw talent.

Sturridge could be a force of nature at the point of the attack if he could stay fit, but as noted by OptaJoe, he can't be relied upon:

As such, Pato would be a smart addition if Liverpool can beat Spurs and Arsenal to his signature. The 26-year-old will be hungry to prove himself in Europe after a few seasons back home, meaning Klopp would be getting a player who's likely to buy into his principles. It’s the kind of capture that would give everyone at the club a midseason boost.

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One worry about such a deal is the possibility the path into the first team for academy prospects could be blocked. However, it seems as though the Reds will reshape this section of the club.

Speaking to James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, Reds academy director Alex Inglethorpe revealed the numbers have been slashed in the youth setup as the club seeks to focus on channeling more young stars into the first-team squad.

“The definition of Academy is that it should be a place of elite. ... We had around 235/240 before, it’s just under 200 boys now and that figure will head south still,” Inglethorpe told Pearce. "The focus here now isn’t on having a specific number in each age group, it’s around wanting a specific level of quality in each age group.”

Inglethorpe went on to explain to Pearce the impact Klopp has had on the academy setup since he took the job as Liverpool manager in October:

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He’s a genuine supporter of youth. You can see that with how he played Connor Randall, Joao Teixeira and Cameron Brannagan against Bournemouth. There’s a genuine desire to play the kids which is what everyone wants to see and hear. You can see that there is an authenticity around how he works.

To see three boys from here make their full debuts at Anfield gave everyone a huge boost. We have been very lucky in the last three years that we have had boys get in and be given opportunities.

Of course whenever there is a change, it’s only natural to wonder how easy that pathway is going to be. But soon after Jurgen arrived it was made very clear that if they are good enough they will be given a chance.

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For a club of Liverpool’s stature, organic growth is vital. Granted, they do have major financial muscle when compared to most sides in the Premier League, yet they’re unable to compete with the elite outfits when it comes to signing the very best players. So it’s important the club, as it’s done in the past, can nurture its own talent.

If Klopp can integrate these youngsters, then it’ll be a major aid for him during his stint as manager. Much of the German’s coaching persona is about conjuring a feel-good factor at a football club, and seeing local talents getting chances in the first team will not only serve as motivation to all those players looking for opportunities but keep spirits high among supporters too.