Liverpool Transfer News: Latest Rumours, Players Targeted Ahead of Summer Window

Liverpool have reportedly made contact with Newcastle United over potentially signing midfielder Moussa Sissoko, but they face competition from Chelsea and Bundesliga side Hamburg SV.

According to L’Equipe (via Get French Football News), Hamburg have offered the Magpies €12 million (£9.5 million) for the 26-year-old Frenchman, but in a boost for the Reds, Newcastle will demand at least €5 million (£3.9 million) more to let him go and thus are sure to reject the German side's bid.

It effectively means Liverpool need to lodge a bid of at least £13 million to win the race for Sissoko, although L'Equipe's report indicated Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez "has absolutely no intention of selling" the France international.

Sissoko himself, though, seems to have a different view, as he recently stated his desire to leave Newcastle following their relegation to the Championship, per Foot Mercato (via football writer Chris Waugh):

With Sissoko contracted to Newcastle until 2019, the north-east club will need to be persuaded to let him go, and thus Liverpool will need to make an attractive offer if they want to snap him up.

The question remains as to whether Liverpool should even be pursuing him. At times he can be very effective on the right flank—he netted once and provided seven assists in Newcastle's poor Premier League campaign last term—and can also play on the left or through the middle, per WhoScored.com.

However, Sissoko was at least partly to blame for the Magpies' eventual relegation in 2015-16, not least because he only shows his best form sporadically, per football writer Kristan Heneage:

Given Liverpool's aspirations to be a Champions League and Premier League-challenging side again, and their recent upward trajectory under manager Jurgen Klopp, they need to make summer additions who fit the profile of top-class talent.

Per the Daily Post's Tom Davidson, Sissoko may be the type of player who matches Liverpool's current profile—eighth-place finishers in the Premier League last season—but he has not yet proved to be good enough for where they want to be:

Elsewhere, Liverpool could reportedly hijack Napoli's move for FC Porto midfielder Hector Herrera.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport's Mimmo Malfitano (via Gazzetta World), the Serie A side have already offered the 26-year-old Mexican a five-year deal worth €1.8 million (£1.4 million) a year, but Porto are holding out for a €20 million (£15.8 million) fee with Napoli having offered only €18 million (£14.2 million).

As a result, added Gazzetta, interested Liverpool could swoop in and "snatch him," and he would certainly be a fine addition to Klopp's side.

As can be seen below in his highlights reel from the 2015-16 season, central midfielder Herrera is technically gifted, intelligent and has an eye for goal:

He is also a hard worker and would provide further quality in the middle of the park at Liverpool, but they will have to move fast if they are to pip Napoli to the signing.