Liverpool Transfer News: Danny Drinkwater, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Top Rumours

Liverpool are reportedly set to go head-to-head with Chelsea to sign Leicester City's Danny Drinkwater this summer.

According to Giles Poole of Italian outlet Gazzetta World, the pair are both interested in the Foxes midfielder after his excellent campaign for the Premier League champions.

The 26-year-old has missed just two matches of Leicester's title-winning campaign and shone alongside N'Golo Kante in the middle of the park thanks to his all-around excellent play.

According to Squawka, Drinkwater has won 69 tackles in the Premier League this season, as well as making 55 interceptions and 71 clearances. Going forward, he has created 42 chances, and as the Premier League revealed, he has been among the most creative English players in the league:

His efforts earned him his first England cap back in March, a reward Match of the Day host Gary Lineker believed was warranted:

However, Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri has said the club will do its best to resist interest in the stars who helped deliver the title, which could make landing him difficult.

Per Graham Read of the Express, he said: "Yes, the phone will be ringing, I know that. But when it does I will say 'How much money do you have?' And then I will ask them, 'Do you have enough money to buy my players?' I want to keep all my players but if anyone shows any indication that he might want to go I will be trying to keep him."

Further, the player perhaps hinted at his intention to stay when he told Sky Sports News HQ the plan was to "push on" at the King Power Stadium:

Unlike Leicester, Chelsea won't have UEFA Champions League football next season. Liverpool's only hope of qualifying is to win the UEFA Europa League, so Drinkwater will have added incentive to stay put.

Meanewhile, Barcelona 'keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is determined to remain at the Camp Nou despite an offer coming in for him from "an important club in the Premier League," per Toni Frieros of Sport. According to Marc Williams of the Daily Star, Liverpool are among the English clubs linked with the German.

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The stopper has been the subject of speculation as he must share goalkeeping duties with Claudio Bravo—Ter Stegen plays in cup and European games, and Bravo features in the league—but the German is evidently content to stay. Per Jamie Styles of the Daily Star, he said: 

"

I'm very happy here and I want to stay here, with the life I have. It's a lovely place to live. You can never relax and you always have to give everything. Both myself and Claudio and Jordi [Masip] want to play and we work week after week to do so. I think that this idea is good for the team, too, because we're always ready.

"

Spanish football expert Rafael Hernandez is an admirer:

For the Reds to become a truly successful outfit under manager Jurgen Klopp, a change in goalkeeping personnel is likely needed as Simon Mignolet has thus far proved unreliable.

Targeting Ter Stegen with the hopes he might be unsettled by not being Barca's undisputed No. 1 is a smart move, but it seems they'll have no luck this summer.

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Lastly, according to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Liverpool are considering sending Jordon Ibe out on loan next season and replacing him with Ajax winger Anwar El Ghazi.

The 21-year-old has bagged 11 goals and three assists in the Eredivisie this season and is one of the Netherland's most exciting young prospects.

Ibe has had a mixed campaign at Anfield but is promising enough to keep hold of, so a loan to get him more first-team experience seems fairly likely. El Ghazi looks like he could be a strong replacement for him in the meantime, though as Manchester United's Memphis Depay has shown this season, it's not certain he could replicate his form in England.