Reds Line Up £11m Bid For Celtic Star

Liverpool aim to fill the vacant left-back spot with the signing of Emilio Izaguirre from Celtic.

The Honduras international has been a revelation in the Scottish Premier League since joining the club for a fee that is officially undisclosed but reported to be no more than £600,000. Such has been his impact in the SPL that he swept the board at the player of the year awards at the end of the season despite his club only picking up the Scottish Cup.

Liverpool have been impressed and want Izaguirre to solve their problem position. With Emiliano Insua shipped out after failing to star and Paul Konchesky's arrival from Fulham never likely to be the answer, the Reds relied largely on Glen Johnson playing out of position with Fabio Aurelio constantly succumbing to injury.

The 25-year-old has flirted with the idea of a move south of the border with Manchester United rumoured to be monitoring the situation. However, with the Red Devils failing to follow up their interest, the path is clear for Liverpool to make an approach with an £11m bid thought to be enough to secure Izaguirre's signature.

Reds Plan Move For Chelsea Star

Liverpool are reportedly set to mount an audacious attempt to lure Chelsea youngster Daniel Sturridge to Anfield.

The England U21 international is a player that boss Kenny Dalglish and director of football Damien Comolli are interested in bringing to in and may feel they have a decent shot at landing the striker as his first team chances seem set to become even more limited than previously.

Newly installed Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas apparently has no intention of selling either Fernando Torres or Didier Drogba, but may listen to offers for French international Nicolas Anelka, however the former FC Porto boss is reportedly keen on signing Santos star Neymar and Chelsea have already secured the services of Brazilian teenager Lucas Piazón and therefore Sturridge may well find it tough to break into the first team.

Liverpool are said to have made a move for Sturridge last January but at the time Chelsea were only willing to farm out the former Man City man out on loan and the 21 year old made a big impression at Bolton where he netted eight goals from 11 starts at the Reebok Stadium side.

Dalglish brought in strike pairing Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll but may well feel that the addition of another young attacker could help add further strength in depth and though the Merseyside club also has experienced Dutch international Dirk Kuyt on their books, he has tended to revert to a wide right role for much of his recent Liverpool career.

Liverpool is apparently ready to offload French striker David Ngog after the former PSG man failed to make an impact over the past three seasons. The Anfield side are also looking to sell a number of under performing squad players to help make way for new additions and the likes of Milan Jovanovic, Christian Poulsen, Paul Konchesky and Joe Cole. It also looks likely that Dalglish will allow Maxi Rodriguez to make the move back to Argentina that he has requested.

Chelsea boss Villas Boas may well consider offers for Sturridge as he too looks to make significant changes to his squad. The young Portuguese manager seems keen to bring a player or two from his former club FC Porto but is also strongly linked with moves to address the ageing nature of his squad.

Speculation is rife that players such as Florent Malouda, Paulo Ferriera and the aforementioned Anelka will be sold and squad players Salomon Kalou, Jose Bosingwa Yossi Benayoun and Yuri Zhirkov may well be sacrificed as Boas looks to re-shape his Stamford Bridge squad to better reflect his long term plans.

Fanatix reports that Liverpool will look to make an offer in the near future for the Chelsea front man, but it does seem that the West London side are not likely to sell the player to a club vying for a top four spot and may elect instead to accept over offers if they do indeed look to allow the Birmingham born striker to leave.

Arsenal To Rival Liverpool For Stewart Downing Transfer

Stewart Downing has emerged as a transfer target for Arsenal, despite reports that he is on his way to Liverpool.

Reds boss Kenny Dalglish is determined to land the England winger, but no deal has yet been agreed because Aston Villa has put a £20 million price tag on the player.

The lack of progress in Downing's expected move to Anfield has left the door open for bids from other clubs and it appears Arsenal are ready to take advantage of the situation.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is prepared to match Villa's asking price in order to get his man, reports the Sunday Mirror.

Wenger is determined to add a creative player to his squad before the new season gets underway, as he is facing the prospect of losing Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona and possibly also seeing Samir Nasri leave.

Downing does not enjoy the same standing in the game as Fabregas and Nasri, but the 26-year-old is a proven Premier League performer who would need little time to adapt.

Liverpool & Tottenham Monitoring Jack Collison

Liverpool and Tottenham are monitoring the situation of West Ham midfielder Jack Collison, it has been claimed.

According to the News of the World, the Barclays Premier League rivals will also have West Brom to contend with, should they formalize their interest in the Wales international.

Collison only returned to action for the Hammers in the closing weeks of last season, having been sidelined for 14 months with a serious knee injury.

And, with the east London club having been relegated the Npower Championship, the 21-year-old is facing an uncertain future at Upton Park, despite the Hammers being desperate to retain his services.

Collison is to hold talks with new boss Sam Allardyce to discuss his options, but it is likely the youngster will have his head turned if Liverpool and Spurs make a serious approach.

Liverpool and Spurs are also both thought to be keen on the acquisition of Lille star Eden Hazard, while both clubs had been hoping to beat Arsenal to the signature of the Belgian’s teammate Gervinho.

Liverpool Face Battle For Stade Brest Striker

Liverpool face a battle with Sochaux and Lille for striker Nolan Roux.

talkSPORT recently revealed Liverpool were keen on the French forward, with Kenny Dalglish committed to overhauling his squad this summer.

Stade Brest has received enquiries for Roux and the club is planning to cash in on the £7million-rated star - with Liverpool the most keen.

But talkSPORT understands French sides Sochaux and Lille are also eager to speak to Brest about the possibility of signing the 23-year-old.

Lille are losing striker Gervinho to Arsenal and the club are already planning for his departure by scouring the market for a replacement.

It all means Dalglish will have to move quickly to sign his target and although Brest have not received an official bid yet, interest from elsewhere may force him into action.

Liverpool To Resume Interest In Jose Enrique

Liverpool will reportedly turn their attention back to Newcastle United defender Jose Enrique after failing in their bid to land Arsenal's Gael Clichy, according to The News of the World.

Manchester City have apparently beaten the Reds to the signing of Clichy, so Liverpool are said to be reviving their interest in Enrique, who has been a target for the Anfield club after impressing for the Magpies last season.

Reds' boss Kenny Dalglish is keen to strengthen his options at left-back and has also been linked with a move for England defender Leighton Baines, but was apparently put off by neighbours Everton’s £20 (€22) million valuation.

However, he has been tracking Enrique for a number of months. Ironically, when the Spaniard left Villarreal for the Premier League in August 2007, Liverpool (then managed by Rafael Benitez) was one of the clubs, along with Manchester City, whom Newcastle beat to his signature.

Youngster Targets World Cup Glory

Academy forward Adam Morgan is relishing the prospect of England's mouthwatering U17 World Cup quarter-final against Germany on Monday night.

The Reds striker came off the bench to net a cool spot-kick in the shoot-out success over Argentina in the round of 16 - and is now optimistic the Three Lions can rise to the occasion when they lock horns with one of the competition's favourites in Morelia, Mexico.

“It was a fantastic feeling to score a penalty at a World Cup and get through to a Quarter Final,” said Morgan.

“Even though the conditions were awful, we played well throughout the match and deserved the victory. The lads are delighted we got through and can’t wait for the next game against Germany."

He added: "We're confident we can beat any team at this tournament. We can't see ourselves losing at the moment."

If England is to go on and lift the U17 World Cup they will have to overcome some of their fiercest rivals along the way.

The Three Lions' senior team has a long history of battles with both Argentina and Germany, something that is not lost on Morgan despite his tender years.

"I can remember watching England-Argentina games through the World Cups when I was younger," he said. "I remember Michael Owen's great goal in 1998 and David Beckham's penalty in 2002. It's such a special feeling to be a part of this rivalry at a World Cup.

"It's the same in the next round. They're Germany and we're England. The games between us are always special.

"We're determined to give it our all. Going forward, we've got the likes of Raheem (Sterling) and Hallam (Hope) and we're flying on the wings. As long as we put in a solid team performance we know that we will score goals.

“It’s fantastic for all the squad to have game time at a World Cup, it’s a brilliant experience for all 21 players to play and been involved at such a young age. It will definitely help us in the future, there is no doubt about that.

“Every time I get an opportunity to play, I give it my all and hope I have an impact on the matches I play in.”

He added: "We've got so many wingers and forwards who can hurt a team. We're really coming together. We will be giving it our best shot to reach the Semi-Finals of a World Cup.”

Liverpool’s Plan For Fewer Injuries This Season

Since the arrival of Dr. Peter Brukner and his small army of Sport Scientists last summer, it has been hard to gauge really how successful the big changes in the medical department have been. There was a lot of talk of improving the injury situation at Anfield, with the Reds being hampered by a number of players sidelined with so called “soft tissue injuries.” Dr. Brukner, a pre-eminent figure in the field of Sports Science and Medicine back in his native Australia, felt that football in particular, despite being the world’s most popular sport, had a lot to learn from other sports in regards to fitness and injury management.

This season has seen the likes of Daniel Agger, Steven Gerrard and Fabio Aurelio, three players who have lengthy injury records, being sidelined once again with recurring injuries, and it looked like any edge we would get for being at the forefront of Sports Science in football would be negligible, but Brukner talked to LFC Weekly this week about how their procedures and programs may make a difference next campaign:

“They all have a program. If they’re playing internationals, they’ll have a month off and the ones who are not will have six weeks off. But in this day and age you can’t just do nothing for four or six weeks. The players won’t have to do an awful lot but they will be on a maintenance program so three or four times a week, they’ll have things to do.”

Martin Skrtel stated last week in an interview he was keeping to his program, and it has also been mentioned that these programs are also targeted to strengthen the weakest areas of their bodies (i.e. where they had injuries last season) and to make sure they come to pre-season training next month as strong as they can be to ensure that these injuries don’t reoccur next campaign. In addition, Brukner believes the absence of the World Cup will give the Sports Science team greater time to implement their programs to ensure the team is in the best shape possible for next season:

“It is very different to last year when we got everyone back in dribs and drabs as and when they got eliminated from the World Cup. It will be a good opportunity for us to really work with the players. With the World Cup, we didn’t have that lengthy period of pre-season training to do that. We’re looking forward to working with them in that period. They may not be looking forward to it so much, but we are!”

Although it is very hard to see a great difference in Reds players’ injury record last season, perhaps this campaign will be different. With the Medical department in its second year at the club, knowing more about the strength and weaknesses of each player, as well as the absence of a summer tournament for the majority of the players, we should see better fitness levels next season, and hopefully it will give us an extra edge in tight matches as next campaign draws to a close.

Kenny Won't Discuss Targets

Kenny Dalglish has insisted Liverpool will continue conducting their transfer business in the appropriate manner and will not publicly chase players.

There was expected to be movement in and out of Anfield this summer as Dalglish puts his plans in place for what the club hope will be a more successful 2011/12 campaign.

The Reds have been linked with a large number of players since the end of last season but, apart from signing midfielder Jordan Henderson, have so far been quiet in the market.

Dalglish, though, has played down suggestions that he should be worried about not bringing in many reinforcements during the early part of the summer.

"Pre-season has not started. We don't begin until Monday, but obviously transfers are part of football. You get people moving in and moving out," Dalglish told Sky Sports News after receiving an honorary degree from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland.

"We are not going to speculate on any players we have or any players anyone else has. There has been plenty of talk in the newspapers and if you read them and believed them, we'd have a squad of about 300 next year.

"We've just got to get on with what we've got to do. We do our business and we try to do it properly, with respect to other people, and we will continue to do it.

"The names they conjure up in the newspapers, sometimes they will be accurate and sometimes they will inaccurate."

Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam and Manchester City's James Milner are two players to have been connected with Liverpool but Dalglish refused to confirm or deny an interest in the duo.

"There's no point asking about anybody because we're not going to talk about them, and we never have done," said the Scot.

"Managers don't talk about individuals and I think that's the right way to be."

Carragher Expects Liverpool Spending Spree

Liverpool vice-captain Jamie Carragher believes the club's transfer activity is set to pick up and expects to see more young talent arrive at Anfield in the coming weeks.

So far Kenny Dalglish has brought in England Under-21 midfielder Jordan Henderson from Sunderland.

But having seen Ipswich target Connor Wickham join Sunderland and Arsenal full-back Gael Clichy apparently set for a move to Manchester City - coupled with arch-rivals Manchester United spending £50 million-plus on Phil Jones, Ashley Young and David De Gea - there is a growing feeling among Liverpool fans that the club were falling behind in the transfer market.

However, Carragher is unconcerned and backed the club's hierarchy, with owners Fenway Sports Group making it clear to director of football Damien Comolli they want to get more value for money from their signings, to bring in the right players.

"It's still very early and I didn't expect too much to happen on the transfer front before now," he told the Liverpool Echo.

"Over the summer players, managers, chief executives and owners are all away on holiday.

"It's only the start of July and with pre-season getting going next week I'm sure things will soon start moving.

"You often find that one deal sets it off and everything happens from there.

"I'm sure it will kick off over the next few weeks and hopefully we'll get a couple more new faces in.

"The club now has a policy of focusing attention on young players and I think that's the right way for clubs to go.

"You want to develop a team and have players at the club for a long time. I think that approach will really benefit us.

"Things don't always work out, but it's much easier to move on a younger player who still has a decent sell-on value than someone in their 30s."

Carragher pointed to the acquisition of Henderson as an example.

"Jordan is a great signing. I know one of the coaches at Sunderland who rates Jordan very highly," he added.

"He had a great season with Sunderland and we're fortunate to have got him. I think he will add real energy to our midfield."

Blackpool Request £9m From Reds For Charlie Adam

Liverpool will need £9 million to secure the services of Charlie Adam from Blackpool, according to the Mirror.

The 25-year-old's move to Anfield has been on-off all summer as Blackpool fight to get their best price for their prized asset.

And after Liverpool reportedly offered a player-plus-cash deal for Adam, the Tangerines have slapped a £9 million price tag on the Scot.

Adam reportedly told Blackpool that he wishes to move to Liverpool this summer following Blackpool's relegation from the Premier League.

As well as Adam, Liverpool are also tracking Stewart Downing and Moussa Sissoko.

Liverpool To Battle Man City With £10m Bid For Arsenal Left-Back

Liverpool manager Kenny Daliglish will have been put on red alert after the latest comments to come out of the Emirates with regards to the future of left-back Gail Clichy, who is also being chased by Manchester City.

Clichy is Arsenal's longest serving player having joined the north London club in 2003, he has won one Premier League and an FA Cup during his eight year stint at the Emirates.

However the French international only has one year left on his contract with the Gunners, and has made it clear he wants up his wages from £2.5million a year to £4m a year.

Arsenal are not willing to meet the demands of Clichy and a number of clubs have shown an interest including, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Inter Milan and Roma. City have attempted to land both Clichy and his Arsenal team-mate Samir Nasri with a joint bid for the pair but Liverpool will hope they can persuade the left-back to choose Anfield.

It is believed the 25-year-old favours a move to Liverpool, who are willing to match his wage demands, plus Clichy will be the number one left-back at the club, while City have the likes of Wayne Bridge and Alexander Kolarov.

Dalglish and Livepool's director of football Damien Comoilli are admirers of Clichy and see him as a welcomed addition to the squad, and believe he will be able to help push Liverpool back into the top four of the Premier League.

Liverpool will need to spend in the region of around £10m for the French left-back.

Doni Wants To Join Liverpool

TalkSport is reporting that Roma stopper Doni wants to move to Liverpool, and has already 'reached an agreement' for the deal to take place.

While there were doubts surrounding a move for Doni to Liverpool over the last couple of weeks, with discrepancies over wage amounts, an agreement has reportedly been reached and the keeper will be with Liverpool by the end of the summer.

Doni has starred for Roma since moving to the Italian outfit in 2005, and has been hot property during the transfer period. Liverpool have long had the 31-year-old on their radar, and while Pepe Reina has insisted his future is with the Reds, the arrival of Doni could spark questions over the current keeper’s stake on the side.

Pundits believe though that Doni could serve as a good back up for Reina, should the Liverpool keeper continue to star for the Merseyside club.

Roma have reportedly demanded £1.5 million for Doni, which Liverpool have agreed to meet.

Reds Linked To Niang

Liverpool is the latest club to be linked to Caen rising star M'baye Niang and are reported to have made an initial enquiry to the French club.

Skysports.com understands that Tottenham made a bid for the 16-year-old sensation in the closing days of June after watching the striker burst onto the scene at the end of last season.

Caen chairman Jean-Francois Fortin has not received any official offer, but it has been reported in France that Liverpool have checked on the substance of Tottenham's approach.

Liverpool's principal owner, John W Henry, has made it clear that the club's priority is to invest in youth in the transfer market, which would open long-term potential and sell-on value.

Caen are thought to want to keep Niang, who scored three goals in seven matches last season, for another year and that could mean that the teenager may return to France on loan if a transfer materializes.

But Fortin is still waiting for an offer, as he told L'Equipe on Friday: "I have had no proposition.

"But if we receive one, we will study it."

Liverpool Linked With Move For Emiliano Viviano

Liverpool is being linked with a move for Italian international keeper Emiliano Viviano.

The Inter Milan number two has recently emerged on the Emirates radar, with Arsene Wenger thought to be keen on bringing the 25-year-old to north London.

However, Mediaset TV claim Liverpool has made an enquiry over the former Bologna stopper's availability following the end of a co-ownership deal that had previously tied the player to two clubs.

The report goes on to claim that Kenny Dalglish is eager to bring the player to Anfield as back-up for Jose Reina, with limited options currently available to the Scot in the position at Liverpool.

With money at his disposal, Dalglish and director of football Damien Comolli have targeted a handful of players in a number of positions this summer, with a left back, winger and striker also thought to be on the Liverpool agenda.

Jordan Henderson's reported £20 million arrival a fortnight ago shows the Anfield outfit is willing to spend big in the transfer window, although £8 million could be excessive for a number two keeper at Liverpool.

Viviano's agent has admitted that the transfer window is a waiting game though, and the player will wait to see how things unfold over time with both Arsenal and Roma known to be on his radar.

"Viviano has come in to a big club and he is happy to be part of it," Renzo Contratto told calciomaercato.it.

"Arsenal and Roma's interest? We are at the beginning of July, the market has only just opened. Let's see what happens.

"Emiliano has said that he trusts Inter, so we will have to wait."

Suarez Reveals Barca 'Dream'

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has said he would love the chance to play for European champions Barcelona.

Suarez only joined Liverpool in a £22 million deal from Ajax in January but revealed he always had a "dream" of playing for the all-conquering Spanish giants.

His agent, Pere Guardiola, is the brother of Barca coach Pep Guardiola, but the Uruguay international says this had no bearing on his goal.

"Before meeting Pere Guardiola, my current agent, I had this desire, this dream of a chance to play for that team [Barcelona]," Suarez is quoted as saying in Spanish sports weekly Don Balon.

"Obviously he [Pere] is a person related to Barcelona by his brother, but work situations are totally different relationships. If Guardiola wanted me, he would want me no matter who represents me."

Suarez came off the bench to score on his Liverpool debut at Anfield and quickly became a fans' favourite when he contributed to all three of his team's goals in a 3-1 win over arch-rivals Manchester United.

Tigers To Land Reds Keeper

Skysports.com understands Hull are closing in on the signing of Liverpool goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.

Hull are in the market for goalkeeping reinforcements with Matt Duke leaving the club and Brad Guzan returning to Aston Villa following the expiration of his loan stint.

Gulacsi admitted earlier this summer he was likely to leave Liverpool on loan and it appears Hull is ready to take him to the KC Stadium on a season-long deal.

The 21-year-old has not played a first-team game for Liverpool, but has had loan spells at Hereford and Tranmere in recent seasons.

Hull have taken Daniel Ayala and David Amoo from Liverpool on loan during the last 12 months and Gulacsi is set to become the third player to make the same move this summer.

Kenny Dalglish Receives Honorary Degree From University of Ulster

Liverpool FC boss Kenny Dalglish has been honoured for his services to football and charitable activity.

Dalglish, pictured above, was at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast today to receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Ulster.

As well as being a huge success as both a player and manager at Anfield, he has worked tirelessly along with his wife Marina to raise money for cancer charities.

In 2004, Kenny and Marina Dalglish began raising funds through the Marina Dalglish Appeal which paved the way for a new £2m chemotherapy centre at the University Aintree Hospital.

Starlets Shine For England

Adam Morgan netted a crucial spot kick as England beat Argentina 4-2 on penalties in the FIFA U17 World Cup last 16 on Thursday night.

The Liverpool youngster came off the substitutes' bench to score from 12 yards after the game had ended 1-1 after 90 minutes in Mexico.

Morgan's fellow Reds Academy teammate Raheem Sterling had earlier drawn England level when his low drive crept in five minutes before the break to cancel out Maximiliano Padilla's opener for Argentina.

Sterling departed the action on 81 minutes to be replaced by Morgan, who kept his composure to net in the shootout before Jordan Pickford's save from Augustine Allione allowed Chelsea's Nathaniel Chalobah to blast in the winner.

Brad Smith was another Liverpool starlet involved, playing the entire 90 minutes, while Tyrell Belford, Matty Regan and Jack Dunn were unused substitutes.

England will now face Germany in the quarter-final.

Trio Sign New Deals

Liverpool Football Club have confirmed three of the club's young starlets have put pen to paper on new deals.

Adam Morgan, Tyrell Belford and Stephen Sama have all committed their futures to the Reds by signing new contracts.

Striker Morgan, currently on international duty at the U17s World Cup with England, has inked his first professional contract that will keep him at Anfield until June 2014.

Belford is also with the Young Lions in Mexico and the goalkeeper has signed a deal with the Reds that runs until June 2012.

Meanwhile, Sama has put pen to paper on a new extended contract until June 2014.