With the close of this season fast approaching the rumours of Liverpool being linked to pretty much every player on the planet are going into overtime as per usual.
I’m not going to go out on a limb and say players like Edinson Cavani and Gonzalo Higuain won’t end up at Liverpool but in the current climate it’s not going to happen right now.
Liverpool are in a rebuilding state under Brendan Rodgers and according to the boss himself the Anfield side are only a few "quality" signings away from being contenders again, but to get players in the league of Higuain, Cavani and Co things are needed, Champions League football being one of them.
I’ve compiled a list of four areas that Liverpool need strengthening and the realistic targets that could help Brendan Rodgers in his quest to bring the Red side of the Mersey back to the top.
With Jamie Carragher set to hang his boots up at the end of the season after a 17-year playing career, the pressure is definitely on to bring in a reliable and experienced centre-back who can step in and take command of the back-line.
There has also been a lot of talk of Martin Skrtel being sold in the summer after a massive dip in form and a falling out between the Slovakia captain and the Liverpool boss, various clubs are said to be interested (Zenit St. Petersburg, Anzhi Makhachkala, Shakhtar Donetsk & Arsenal to name a few).
Liverpool are said to also be open to offers for Uruguayan Sebastian Coates with the player believing to favour a move back to South America.
Swansea's Ashley Williams name has been at the top of the list for some time after impressive displays for both club and his country. Brendan Rogers feels he would provide some much needed leadership that would be missing from the team.
Williams' age does work against him as he will be 29 in the summer which goes against FSG transfer policy, but it seems that Rodgers has persuaded the owners, and he has been given the go ahead to make a move for the Welsh Captain.
Williams is not the only centre back on Brendan Rodgers list Ajax & Belgium defender Toby Alderweireld is another name that has cropped up recently (or for those who know, he’s been on the radar since January.)
Liverpool are believed to be the frontrunners to land Alderweireld after the Belgium international gave the green light to a possible summer move to Anfield.
He told Belgium paper Het Laatste Nieuws: 'I do not want to play in an English club to mid-table. Unlike Newcastle, Liverpool meets my criteria.'
Brendan Rodgers rates the player highly as he displays the qualities and fits the criteria of those that the FSG, the club's American owners, like to sign.
Liverpool's midfield is one area that already jam packed with players vying for starting spots, but there is a missing piece from the jigsaw, that creative spark in the final third.
During the January transfer window Brendan Rodgers bought in Philippe Coutinho and what a breath of fresh air he has been, scoring 2 goals and assisting in 3 more, but Rodgers believes there is more that can come from his midfield.
Enter Ajax's Christian Eriksen, the man who at 21 is fast becoming a household name and is believed to be Liverpool's number 1 transfer target.
Ajax's technical director Marc Overmars has openly told reporters that Liverpool are regular visitors to the Amsterdam Arena and from his exploits in the Champions League is plain as day to see why.
He fits the FSG model perfectly being the right age and seemingly within the price range of Liverpool (being in the final year of his contract and stating he would not sign an extension) he’s a classy finisher with great skill and movement on and off the ball and is seen as the eventual replacement for Steven Gerrard.
Other targets have been watched including Matej Vydra and Jeremy Menez but it seems these are only viewed back up options.
With Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge holding down the striking roles at Liverpool you'd think there wouldn’t be much need for another striker, but this isn't what Brendan Rodgers thinks and with Fabio Borini finding it hard to find the back of the net and also being out with a less than impressive injury record the Liverpool boss is after reliable backup.
Liverpool scouts have been to watch PSG's Kevin Gameiro on multiple occasions and it is said that the player is eager for a move to happen this summer after falling down the pecking order behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ezequiel Lavezzi, it seems that a move during January would have happened but PSG could not agree a deal with Anelka to replace him.
The Liverpool boss knows that if anything were to happen to Suarez or Sturridge he would be left for light in attack with Borini (injured at time of writing and possible not ready for the new campaign & so far proving inconsistent) and he sees Gameiro as an ideal player to come off bench or to lead attack when needed.
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