As the 2014/15 edges towards its conclusion, the start of the summer transfer window gets ever nearer. We round-up the latest LFC transfer rumours.
We may not yet be in the summer transfer, but that doesn’t prevent the constant transfer gossip being churned out day after day.
Liverpool’s poor recent performances against Manchester United and Arsenal have led to many suggesting who they would like to see join the Reds in the summer, in order to boost their 2015/16 chances.
Here are the latest rumoured ins and outs over the last couple of days, including some Liverpool midfield transfer targets.
Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon)
According to the Express—not always the holy grail when it comes to transfer-related gossip—the Reds are lining up a bid for Sporting Lisbon goalkeeper Rui Patricio.
With Brad Jones set to leave Anfield at the end of the season, and a far better ‘keeper needed to be brought in, Patricio would be a decent acquisition by the club.
He would give Simon Mignolet the competition he so evidently lacks with Jones as his deputy, and would give the squad a stronger look to it.
The 27-year-old Portugal star has won 36 caps for his country since his debut in 2010, and remains their No. 1 between the sticks.
Douglas Costa (Shakhtar Donetsk)
The Express are also reporting that Liverpool could be set to swoop in and sign Shakhtar Donetsk attacking midfielder Douglas Costa ahead of some of their Premier League rivals.
The 24-year-old has been heavily linked to join Brazilian compatriots Oscar and Willian at Chelsea in the past, while United and Arsenal have also been rumoured to be interested in him.
The reports claim that Costa could opt for a move to the Reds because of the increased likelihood of first-team football there, compared to the aforementioned trio of clubs.
Costa has been a key player for Shakhtar for the last five-and-a-half seasons, helping make them a force both domestically and in Europe, but a move on to pastures new appears likely.
Geoffrey Kondogbia (AS Monaco)
talkSPORT are another source who are not exactly one to be believed a lot of the time, but they claim Geoffrey Kondogbia is someone Liverpool are looking at to bolster their midfield for next season.
The 22-year-old Monaco star is one of the most highly-rated young midfielders in the whole of Europe, and recently showed his potential with a superb man-of-the-match display against Arsenal in the Champions League.
Kondogbia is most effective in a defensive-midfield role, reading the game well, breaking up play and using the ball intelligently.
He is a real presence in the middle of the park, despite his tender years, and could blossom into a world-class footballer.
The France international is seen as one of Les Bleus‘ most promising players, with many feeling he and superstar-in-waiting Paul Pogba could dovetail to devastating effect in the coming years.
Whether the Reds have the pulling power to convince the £20 million-rated star to move to Merseyside is questionable however, and a probable lack of Champions League football won’t help matters.
Sam Byram (Leeds United)
The Daily Star claims that Brendan Rodgers is closing in on an £8 million deal for Sam Byram, dubbed the ‘next Gareth Bale.’
The 21-year-old, who is a key man for England’s U20s side, is seen as a huge prospect at Elland Road, and it is believed Rodgers has sent scouts to watch him on more than six occasions.
Byram can be equally effective as either a right-back or a winger, and his versatility and potential would suit the Reds manager down to the ground.
The Northern Irishman reportedly sees him as a potential star at wing-back in his preferred 3-4-3 system.
The youngster broke into the Leeds team in 2012, and has been a regular ever since. He has already racked up 53 appearance so far this season, scoring four times.
Raheem Sterling
As reported on Monday, Zinedine Zidane has fuelled speculation surrounding the much-publicised future of Raheem Sterling by claiming Real Madrid are closely monitoring his progress.
“We know who Raheem Sterling is, and of course we are monitoring him as a player,” he said.
“There are very few players in the world who can improve the Real Madrid squad, so it is going to make sense we monitor the progress of the best young players in the world.
“We monitored [Gareth] Bale for over a year, the same with Isco and also [Raphael] Varane.”
The future of Liverpool’s sought-after 20-year-old has been football’s main talking point over the last seven days, with his Anfield future unknown.
It is believed that, should the talented Englishman leave Liverpool, it would require a bid of around £50million for his services.
Zidane is currently the reserve team coach at Santiago Bernabeu, and a potential successor to Carlo Ancelotti as boss of the senior side, should the Italian leave this summer.
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