Liverpool Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Daniel Sturridge and Julian Brandt

Liverpool will reportedly be forced to fend off AC Milan's interest in striker Daniel Sturridge this winter, although Premier League rivals are also circling. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen's Julian Brandt is said to have caught the Reds' attention.

According to Italian outlet CalcioMercatoWeb (h/t James Cambridge of the Daily Express), the Rossoneri are preparing a January move for the Anfield hitman, who has failed to score in eight Premier League outings this season.

Milan sit third in Serie A but are the joint-lowest scorers among Italy's top seven, with Carlos Bacca their most prolific contributor in front of goal with six strikes to his name so far this campaign.

Despite Sturridge's struggles, James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo has muted any talk of a January departure after insisting Liverpool need the England forward to maintain their charge for glory:

Roberto Firmino has lined up as the Reds' central striker at times this season, while Sadio Mane and Divock Origi can also provide options in attack. One might argue manager Jurgen Klopp could do without Sturridge at all.

That said, Liverpool have made their way to the summit of the English top flight with the 27-year-old leading their line for the most part, and Sturridge recently suggested there's more to a striker's game than goals, per Anfield HQ:

In any case, it seems unlikely Sturridge would follow Joe Hart's example after his England team-mate made the shock decision to move to Serie A outfit Torino on loan in the summer.

According to Cambridge, Stoke City and West Ham United are also looking into a deal, while Dean Jones reported on Tottenham Hotspur's revived interest, and an English destination seems a lot more plausible:

Klopp has already utilised his knowledge of the Bundesliga in strengthening this Liverpool side, and German newspaper Express (h/t Daily Star's Alex Harris) reported the former Borussia Dortmund boss is ready to go back for Leverkusen star Brandt.

The winger has started in the last six Bundesliga outings, and Leverkusen's official Twitter account praised their star after he scored his first goal of the season against Darmstadt a fortnight ago:

Liverpool may need to be wary of the other clubs said to be monitoring Brandt's situation, however, with Manchester City, Juventus and AC Milan also rumoured to be in the hunt for his services.

Joel Matip, Ragnar Klavan and Loris Karius all arrived at Anfield from Bundesliga clubs over the summer, while Firmino and Emre Can also hold roots in Germany, with Brandt another potential import from Klopp's native land.