Liverpool Transfer News: Latest on Manuel Lanzini and Alexandre Pato Rumours

West Ham United loan star Manuel Lanzini thinks its an “honour” Liverpool are scouting him ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window, but right now, the midfielder is only focused on his Hammers career.

As reported by ESPN FC's Peter O'Rourke, he said: “I heard the president say that the club wants me to stay. I am fine here. It's an absolute honour that a team like Liverpool has put an eye on me, but at moment I am focused on the match against Tottenham. It's a good team to play against.”

Lanzini joined the Hammers from Al Jazira in the summer on a season-long loan and has impressed greatly since arriving in the Premier League, drawing the Reds' attention, per Bleacher Report's Dean Jones:

The quick midfielder already seems destined to stay in the Premier League once his loan deal is over, and per Goal's Joe Wright, West Ham claim to have an “unbreakable option” on the 22-year-old.

His story is a bit of an odd one. Widely regarded as a top talent at River Plate, he made the curious decision to leave for the Middle East instead of developing his game in Argentina. Per David Hynter of the Guardian, he even spurned several European clubs to do so, but ultimately, it has paid off in a big way:

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It was a struggle for almost everybody to look beyond Manuel Lanzini’s previous club. The Argentinian attacking midfielder arrived at West Ham United in July on a season-long loan from al-Jazira in Abu Dhabi and facts needed to be faced. When had a player last moved from the Arabian Gulf League to light up the Premier League?

[...] To say that the diminutive 22-year-old slipped under the radar was an understatement but it has only added further sheen to his rise, which has seen him emerge as an early contender to be considered as the bargain signing of the season.

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According to Hynter, his current deal with Al Jazira contains a £7 million release clause and West Ham have a first option on said clause. That would be incredible value for the young talent, and it's easy to see why the Reds would be interested.

There's a big difference between being interested and actually bidding for a player, however, and in this case, a deal seems highly unlikely. West Ham's option to sign the player permanently seems fairly waterproof, and unless Lanzini himself decides against a permanent transfer, he should be playing in east London next season.

The attacking midfielder seems comfortable on the right wing, but he plays his best football in the centre, a position where the Reds are stocked with talent. Manager Jurgen Klopp needs to invest in proper wide men, and he likely won't waste too much time on another ball-dominant midfielder who should stay with West Ham.

Alexandre Pato is Tottenham Plan B

Matilde Campodonico/Associated Press

According to the Daily Star Sunday's Tony Stenson, Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino will get involved in the Alexandre Pato sweepstakes if his team loses the battle for West Bromwich Albion forward Saido Berahino.

Liverpool and West Ham are reportedly also eyeing Pato, who has rediscovered his form and health since moving back to Brazil in 2013 and should be available during the January transfer window.

The former AC Milan man has already indicated he wants to return to Europe soon, and according to Goal's Simone Gambino, top clubs have taken notice:

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With 26 goals in 58 games his name has started to sound in some of Europe's biggest clubs, from Liverpool to Barcelona. For Alexandre Pato 2015 was a year of redemption, a rebirth, a return to his best form. 

It was a new start in the career of the former wonderkid tipped to reach the heights of world football. Carlo Ancelotti, his great mentor at Milan, saw him as a potential Ballon d'Or winner while Thiago Silva had gone as far as to compare him with Ronaldo—the original Ronaldo: 'I call him Fenomeno, he could be like Ronnie.'

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Blessed with pace, technical ability and incredible instincts, Pato arrived in Europe amid much fanfare and showed all of his potential every time he stepped on the pitch for Milan. Unfortunately, those opportunities were limited.

Persistent injury troubles ruined his promising career, taking away the pace that made him such a unique player. The 26-year-old's career as an elite footballer appeared over when he returned to Brazil, but nearly three years later, he's ready to return, as you can see below:

Any move for Pato would be high-risk, high-reward. While he hasn't suffered a serious injury in years, his injury history is something every manager will have to take into account. Pato's body broke down when he went up against the physical defenders in Serie A every week―Premier League defenders are just as tough.

Then again, he may not be as expensive as some other strikers would be in January, and he's proved to be a prolific scorer when healthy. For the right price, he could be worth the gamble in January.

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