Liverpool could move for Team GB goalkeeper Jack Butland after the Birmingham City stopper impressed the clubs scouts during Great Britain’s match against UAE on Sunday night.
The Reds have been involved with transfer speculation almost everyday of late, most of it has linked key players away from Anfield, so this will be a welcome boost for Pool fans.
The news comes as Brendan Rodgers plans an overhaul of his goalkeeping options, with Brad Jones being given permission to talk to Norwich over a transfer, while Peter Gulacsi is set to return to the Championship on loan.
That would leave Liverpool with Brazilian stopper Doni as their only back up to first-choice Pepe Reina, and Rodgers wants better.
He has already expressed an interest in veteran Wolves 'keeper de Vries, who he worked with at Swansea, but Rodgers is now thinking longer-term, with the addition of a youngster to work under Reina seen as a better option.
Rodgers is in the process of drawing up a short-list of potential options, but already looks like making Birmingham City teenager Jack Butland his top target, after being handed a number of positive reports on the player by club scouts.
Butland is widely regarded as one of the finest young goalkeepers in the country, and has been watched by the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle in the last six months.
However, Liverpool believe they can beat their Premier League rivals to the 19-year-old, with club scouts impressed after watching him in action for Team GB during the Olympics.
Liverpool had representatives in the stands during the 3-1 win over the United Arab Emirates, to make checks on Swansea midfielder Joe Allen, but were left with a good impression of Butland, who was also a part of England’s Euro 2012 squad.
The only stumbling block to a potential deal would be convincing Birmingham to sell their prize asset, with Southampton already failing with a reported £6 million bid earlier in the summer.
It's thought that Birmingham would only listen to offers in advance of £8 million, but Liverpool could throw in the services of Jonjo Shelvey on a season-long loan to help sweeten the deal.
Liverpool will decide on whether to make a bid in the next few days.
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