Lovren: I Want To Join Reds

Southampton defender Dejan Lovren has hit out as his current club and made it clear his thoughts are focused on joining Liverpool.

The Saints have rejected a bid from the Reds for Lovren, an offer he says was for £20million and claims the south coast outfit did not inform him about.

Having expressed his disappointment at that situation, the 25-year-old Croatia international has emphasized that his "head is already at Liverpool".

He has also made reference to what he regards as a lack of ambition from Southampton, who this summer have seen manager Mauricio Pochettino leave for Tottenham, full-back Luke Shaw join Manchester United and midfielder Adam Lallana and striker Rickie Lambert both sign for Liverpool.

Quoted in Croatian newspaper Sportske Novosti, Lovren said: "Liverpool sent the offer and the club hasn’t informed me.

"That wasn't right. I found out about the bid from other people which disappointed me and I realized I've got no business staying at Southampton.

"Liverpool sent a £20million offer and they (Southampton) paid £9million for me, so they would've earned more than twice the amount.

"At this point, I don't know what I'll do and I don't like it.

"It was unbelievable that a few days ago I had an offer of £20million. It was in the morning and by the afternoon the club had said I was not for sale. Frankly, my head is already at Liverpool."

On Southampton, he said: "Honestly, I don't know who the main man at the club is anymore. They are now looking for £25million, but I don't think they'll get it.

"Look, I'd gladly stay at Southampton if the club had any ambitions, if they kept the key players. Not even the Liverpool bid would have dissuaded me."

And on his suitors, Lovren said: "Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs in the world.

"Only Real Madrid has as many fans around the world. The last time I played at Anfield, I got chills when I heard 'You'll Never Walk Alone.'

"I would like to listen to it all the time."

Liverpool And Monaco Eyeing Swoop For Moussa Sissoko

Liverpool are eying a move for Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko.

Reports suggest French heavyweights Monaco are also keen on the midfield ace.

Sissoko moved to St James' Park in January 2013 for around £1.8m.

He has starred in the centre of the park for the Magpies during his time in the north east, catching the eye of big-spending Monaco and Brendan Rodgers' Reds.

French newspaper L'Equipe suggests Monaco are ready to make a bid for Sissoko as they look to bolster their squad ahead of a return to the Champions League.

They also report that Liverpool hold a strong interest in the player, and may make a move as they themselves look to add strength and quality to their ranks as Rodgers prepares for a return to Europe.

Sissoko's agent suggested earlier this summer that a move away from the Toon was on the cards this summer.

"We're only a year-and-a-half into his Newcastle contract, but open to all propositions for Moussa," he said.

The 24-year-old has made 47 Premier League starts for the club, and has scored six goals.

Liverpool Step Up Miguel Layun Interest

Liverpool are in hot pursuit of Mexico left-back Miguel Layun, according to Mexican newspaper Fichajes.

The 26-year old - who currently plays his football at Club America - has been another player who has shone on the World Cup stage following a string of impressive performances for Mexico in Brazil.

Layun would suit manager Brendan Rodgers' style as he has shown himself to be a marauding defender who loves to get forward.

That would be in keeping with the Reds free-flowing football of last season, which earned them many plaudits on their way to a second-placed finish.

However, they may have to fight off interest from Inter Milan, although the player himself is understood to prefer a move to the Premier League.

Liverpool Keeping An Eye On DeAndre Yedlin

Liverpool could be ready to make a move for a World Cup star this summer having increased their interest in USA’s DeAndre Yedlin.

The 20-year-old has impressed as a substitute for Jurgen Klinsmann’s team and The Metro claim Liverpool are keen to offer him a trial.

Brendan Rodgers reportedly wants the Seattle Sounders man to train with his team during pre-season before deciding whether or not to pursue a summer transfer.

Due to the impressive form of Fabian Johnson in the American defence, Yedlin has had limited playing time in Brazil, but he’s done enough coming off the bench to convince Rodgers to take a closer look at him.

Despite naturally being a right back, Yedlin’s pace has been used in a more attacking role for the US and he hasn’t looked out of place on the world stage.

At just 20-years old, Yedlin has his best years ahead of him and could perhaps be seen as a long-term replacement for England defender Glen Johnson should he move on this summer.

The Merseyside club has already been linked with a move for Benfica’s Maxi Pereira, but USA man Yedlin would surely be a better investment given his age.

The American has plenty of similarities with Johnson - both enjoy getting forward from the right-back position, while Yedlin is comfortable filling in at left-back, just as Johnson has done on occasion for Liverpool.

Though Seattle Sounders and MLS are unlikely to want to lose one of their brightest stars, Liverpool have shown they are willing to pay the price to secure their targets and have already spent in the region of £40million this summer.

No Liverpool Contact Over Huntelaar, Insist Schalke

Schalke general manager Horst Heldt insists the club have received no contact from Liverpool over a possible move for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

The Netherlands international has recently been linked with a switch to Anfield as they line up potential replacements for Luis Suarez, with Liverpool currently holding talks with Barcelona over the sale of the striker.

Huntelaar has been coy on the speculation and Heldt insists Schalke have no plans to part company with a player who has scored 59 goals in 100 Bundesliga appearances for the club.

"Most recently, I've read that Liverpool should have interest in Klaas-Jan Huntelaar," he told the club's official website.

"Liverpool, Klaas-Jan and also his adviser have not contacted us.

"And we also have no interest in selling the player."

Huntelaar is confirmed he is talks with Schalke over an extension to his contract with the Bundesliga club, but is not keen to continue discussions during the World Cup with Netherlands reaching the semi-final on Saturday.

Liverpool To Make Last-Gasp Attempt To Sign Ashley Cole

Liverpool is set to make an 11th hour attempt to persuade former Chelsea star Ashley Cole to move to Anfield.

Roma are believed to be in the driving seat for the 33-year-old's signature and are closing in on a two-year deal for the left back as they are in advanced talks.

Though Roma are confident of ratifying a deal next week, reports suggest Liverpool will use their powers of persuasion to convince Cole to join them instead.

Cole was released by Chelsea at the end of last season and has had no shortage of offers with the likes of Monaco harboring an interest in him.

Cole has been holidaying recently after retiring from England duty with 107 caps but is yet to decide his next move.

Barcelona and AC Milan have also been keeping tabs on Cole, who believes he still has a lot to offer at the highest level.

Cole spent eight years at Stamford Bridge after joining them from Arsenal.

Napoli Seek Lucas And Reina

Napoli are hoping to take Lucas Leiva and Pepe Reina on loan from Liverpool this season.

Reina already spent last term at the Stadio San Paolo and attempts to buy the goalkeeper outright have proved fruitless.

According to Sky Sport Italia they are trying to secure another one-year loan for Reina with Liverpool paying half his wages.

During these negotiations, Rafa Benitez is also requesting another Liverpool player, midfielder Lucas Leiva.

He is also targeted on loan, as he has struggled for playing time amid injuries lately.

Their interest in Leiva was also confirmed by the Daily Mirror, as Emre Can’s arrival will limit his playing time at Anfield.

It was Rafa Benitez who signed Lucas from Gremio in 2007.

Daniel Agger To Be Offloaded This Summer

Liverpool are reportedly desperate to sell defender Daniel Agger this summer – with the club already having offered the player to Barcelona.

The 29-year-old – who made just 23 appearances for the Reds last season – admitted in May that he did not know where his future lay because he believed that manager Brendan Rodgers didn’t rate him enough.

And Spanish newspaper, Mundo Deportivo, have now claimed that Liverpool want to transfer Agger in the coming months – with the club even offering the defender to Spanish giants Barcelona.

The publication reports that the Catalan club, who need to find a replacement for Carles Puyol, received the proposal three months ago, and assessed the player’s technical level but ended up rejecting it.

The Merseyside club’s offer was apparently not linked to Luis Suarez’s prospective move to the Spanish club and will have no bearing on the Uruguay international’s future.

Liverpool are keen to bolster their defensive options before the start of the new Premier League campaign with Southampton recently rejecting a £20m bid for defender Dejan Lovren.

Suarez Set To Complete £80M Move For Barcelona In Next 48 Hours

Barcelona expect to finalize a deal for Liverpool striker Luis Suarez over the next 48 hours.

Talks are ongoing and the Spanish club is concentrating on a straight cash deal for the 27-year-old who Liverpool value at £80million.

Suarez would be allowed to have a medical ahead of a transfer under the terms of his four-month ban for biting, FIFA's disciplinary chief has confirmed.

The Liverpool striker has been banned from all football-related activities including from stadiums, but it will not prevent him moving clubs if a transfer deal is agreed.

Claudio Sulser, the head of FIFA's disciplinary committee, said: 'The player cannot have any activity related to football, but a medical examination for a transfer yes - the sanction is not linked to transfer rights.'

Suarez has appealed against the four-month ban imposed for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini.

Wednesday's meeting between the two clubs in London was productive and cordial with sensible expectations placed on both sides.

Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre met with Barcelona power brokers Raúl Sanllehí, Toni Rossich and Jordi Mestre.

On Tuesday, Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta publicly backed the shamed striker, smoothing the way for him to join Barcelona.

'Suarez had the honour to come out and apologize for his actions and now it's time for him to begin the recovery process,' Zubizarreta said at the Nou Camp as new signing Ivan Rakitic was unveiled.

Rakitic also had his say on the controversy, saying: 'To have the character and strength to apologize in front of the world shows what a noble person he is.'

Sanchez Open To Reds Move Despite Arsenal Interest

Alexis Sanchez would be open to a move to Liverpool despite reportedly having reached an agreement with Arsenal after the Reds held “positive” talks with Barcelona over the sale of Luis Suárez, according to Spanish newspaper AS.

In the back rooms at Camp Nou, directors agree that the signing of Suárez is the club’s number one priority and all are keen to ensure that the operation doesn’t turn into the soap opera of the summer.

Barcelona executives have been working to accelerate the operation and met with Liverpool officials in London this morning to try to find common ground in the attempt to bring the Uruguayan striker to Camp Nou.

Sources close to the negotiations have told AS that conversations between the two clubs have been positive and cordial. Another meeting has been agreed, although neither a date nor a place has been set for the second round of negotiations.

Suárez has been requested expressly by coach Luis Enrique and is believed to have a verbal, gentleman’s agreement with the Catalans. Attending Wednesday morning’s meeting were director of football management, Raúl Sanllehí, vice-president of the Sports Area Jordi Mestre i Masdeu and director general Antoni Rossich.

When all three directors are involved at this stage of negotiations, it generally implies that a deal is close – although no details have emerged about how close Barça are to landing the player, nor whether another player will be included as a makeweight in the operation.

Liverpool want to take Sánchez to Anfield but the Chilean is currently on holidays following his participation in the World Cup finals. Sánchez will also know that other clubs have expressed an interest in him and similarly, Pedro Rodríguez who Andoni Zubizarreta warned on Tuesday is “not for sale”.

Sánchez would be open to a move to Anfield, despite that he is rumoured to have a verbal agreement with Arsenal. Liverpool still believes that they can convince him.

Liverpool are willing to match and raise the Gunners’ bid for the player (€25m, according to some sources) but any resulting fee would be lower such Barça and Liverpool agree on a part-exchange.

Liverpool know that Suárez is set to leave, and when he does it will break the hearts of millions of their fans – which is why they are determined that his replacement must be the kind of player who will just as prolific and equally as adored back at Anfield.

Arsenal And Liverpool Battling For Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

Arsenal’s efforts to sign Klaas-Jan Huntelaar have taken a dent as Liverpool enter the race.

The Reds are resigned to losing Suarez after productive talks between themselves and Barcelona.

Suarez is banned for four months following his third biting incident and manager Brendan Rodgers has lost patience with the striker.

It means Liverpool, who has already added Rickie Lambert to their attacking options this summer, is scouring Europe for high-quality replacements.

Huntelaar is entering the last year of his contract at Schalke and could be available at a knock-down price.

The 30-year-old showed his class to help rescue The Netherlands in their World Cup last 16 clash with Mexico, providing an assist and converting a vital penalty to win the game deep into injury time.

The Gunners have been interested for a while, but had turned their attentions to Mario Balotelli in recent times.

Whether Schalke will opt to keep hold of Huntelaar until his contract expires remains to be seen.

But with Liverpool set to line their coffers to the tune of around £70m from Suarez's sale, they look likely to be in pole position to win any price war for the striker.

Liverpool Move For Arsenal Target Mario Balotelli

Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo reports that Brendan Rodgers will launch a bid for the AC Milan striker when Suarez's switch to the Nou Camp is finalized.

The Uruguayan looks certain to join the Catalan giants this summer, after Liverpool conceded defeat in their battle to persuade him to stay.

The Reds are hoping to negotiate a fee in the region of £70 to £80m, leaving Rodgers with a bumper transfer war-chest as the Kop boss prepares for a return to Champions League action.

They want Chile star Alexis Sanchez included in any deal, however, recent reports suggest the 25-year-old would rather a move to Arsenal.

The departure of Suarez and non-arrival of Sanchez would leave the Reds light in attack, with just Daniel Sturridge, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini left to battle for a starting spot.

And according to reports, Rodgers will launch a blockbuster bid to land ex-Manchester City man Balotelli, as he looks to add a star name to his frontline.

AC Milan are thought to be open to selling Balotelli this summer, after a mixed spell at the San Siro since joining from City in January 2013.

He was strongly linked with a move to Arsenal earlier this summer, but talk of a deal has cooled after his agent revealed a deal was unlikely.

Newcastle To Rival Liverpool For Man City Outcast

Newcastle is plotting to rival Liverpool for the signature of Manchester City’s Micah Richards, according to reports from Goal.

The 13-time England international looks set to leave the Etihad Stadium in a cut-price deal in the coming weeks, with the Sky Blues having failed to agree a new contract with him.

Richards has just one year to run on his deal, and was seeking assurances regarding his first-team opportunities before committing to his boyhood club.

But Manuel Pellegrini was unwilling to offer him the minutes he craved, which has now opened the door for a knockdown move, with City keen to get some cash for their man.

Newcastle has been alerted by this and is ready to launch an official bid as they plot for the loss of Mathieu Debuchy.

The Magpies’ right-back is said to be in talks with Arsenal, which are likely to result in him moving to north London for around £12m.

Alan Pardew sees Richards as a good replacement, with the powerful 26-year-old able to play on the right side of the backline, or in a central defensive role.

Liverpool has also been linked with him, but the Tynesiders are hopeful that a greater chance of being a guaranteed starter at St James’ Park may give them an advantage over the Reds.

Liverpool Swoop For Kevin Stewart

Sky Sports understands that Liverpool have snapped up former Tottenham defender Kevin Stewart.

The 20-year-old has come through the ranks at White Hart Lane, and has skippered their youth sides.

He made his professional debut last season and has spent time on loan at Crewe Alexandra.

Tottenham decided not to offer him a professional deal, at which point Liverpool have made their move.

Stewart has signed a two-year deal with the Reds, and became a Liverpool player on July 1.

Lallana Overjoyed To Be Joining Liverpool

Adam Lallana said he was "over the moon" to be joining Liverpool after he completed his transfer to Anfield from Southampton in a deal believed to be worth up to £25 million.

Lallana, 26, was Liverpool's top transfer target at the start of the summer, as manager Brendan Rodgers set about strengthening his squad ahead of their return to the Champions League after a four-year absence.

But Liverpool have had to be persistent to push the deal through after seeing two initial bids rejected, with the player undergoing a medical over the weekend.

"I'm over the moon for it to be sorted," said Lallana. "I still can't quite believe it. I just can't wait to get started in pre-season and work with the team.

"I'm so excited for the next chapter of my career, coming to a special club like Liverpool. I'm quite humbled and I just can't wait to get started.

"Liverpool have got so much history and after the season they had last season, I can't wait to get started and carry on and build on that. Champions League football is back; everyone is telling me that the atmosphere on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at Anfield are something special.

"I've been granted my wish to play at such a fantastic club, in Champions League football and competing for Premier League titles. I'm so excited for the next chapter of my career, coming to a special club like Liverpool.

The deal sees Lallana follow former Southampton team-mate Rickie Lambert to Anfield and takes Liverpool's summer spending to £40 million. He becomes Rodgers' third signing, joining Lambert and Germany Under-21 midfielder Emre Can at last season's Premier League runners-up.

"Lambert is up here already and he has been telling me all about it," Lallana said.

"It's great that I can continue my career with him as well. That's a special moment.

"I've spent the last four or five years with him. We've had great careers at Southampton and achieved something special, but we're both thoroughly looking forward to the new challenge."

Lallana leaves Southampton after 14 years at the club, having joined them as a 12-year-old from Bournemouth, who hold a 25% sell-on clause.

The midfielder rose to become Southampton club captain, helping them to return to the Premier League in 2012 after a seven-year absence.

His performances for Southampton also caught the eye of England manager Roy Hodgson and he featured in all three of England's World Cup games in Brazil, coming on as a second-half substitute in the defeats by Italy and Uruguay, and starting in the 0-0 draw with Costa Rica.

Lallana insisted he was looking forward to working with Rodgers having been convinced of his talents by his England team-mates.

"From what I have spoken to him, he seems like a top manager. Everyone compliments him massively and gives him great references. All of the lads at England said that if I did get the chance to work with him then it would help my career in huge ways."

Rodgers was full of praise for his new signing, who scored ten goals last season, labeling him one of the "top talents" in the Premier League.

"We are delighted to have secured the services of one of the Premier League's top talents in signing Adam Lallana," Rodgers said. "What is apparent about Adam is that his character is on a par with his talent.

"He is an exceptional young man and someone who has a love for the game - and, most importantly, a desire to progress and improve.

"Adam is motivated by being the best he can be and being part of something special. We believe he fits right in with what we are trying to do at Liverpool.

Liverpool Seal Move For Leverkusen's Can

Liverpool have completed the signing of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Emre Can almost a month after announcing that a deal had been agreed in principle.

The Germany under-21 international's move has been finalised after the necessary paperwork was completed, and he revealed that the Merseyside club had been scouting him for some time.

Can has joined for a reported fee of £10 million and becomes Brendan Rodgers' third summer signing after the arrival of Rickie Lambert and midfielder Adam Lallana, both from Southampton.

"I heard that they [Liverpool] had an interest in signing me for a long time - approximately four years," Can told the official Liverpool website.

"We weren't in contact then, but I had it at the back of mind and then it got more and more intense. I was told about the manager's firm interest about four or five months ago.

"It was an easy decision for me to sign with Liverpool as I had a very good chat with the manager, which clearly showed that the club and he wanted to sign me. This was important for me. I can say it was an easy decision for me."

Reina Will Snub Arsenal And Monaco

Pepe Reina is set to reject interest from a host of European clubs to stay at Liverpool next season, his agent has confirmed.

Reina, who spent last season on-loan at Italian club Napoli, had told the media last month that he would not be returning to Merseyside once the deal expired.

However, despite interest from Arsenal, Monaco and PSG, his agent Manuel Garcia Quilon says the goalkeeper will be staying at Anfield after all.

‘I confirm to you that Pepe will play for Liverpool next season,’ Quilon told reporters.

The 31-year-old will now go head-to-head with first-choice Simon Mignolet for the number one jersey next season.

But before his return, he will likely have to apologise to manager Brendan Rodgers, who accused the glovesman of disrespect following comments last season about Liverpool’s goalkeeping situation.

Match Tactical View: Liverpool v Chelsea

It would be a shame if Jose Mourinho follows through with his threat to play a reserve side for this contest, but it's unlikely Brendan Rodgers will be paying too much attention.

With Liverpool in this form - they've won their last 11 - they can afford to go out and play their own game, without reacting too much to the identity of their opponents. As we've noted many times in this column, the Reds have generally made extremely fast starts in big matches this season, and it would be something of a surprise if they didn't score the opener again here.

It's been interesting how many of those crucial openers have come from set-pieces, where Liverpool have been more prolific than any other side in the division, and considering this has been something of a problem Chelsea throughout this season, it could be worth looking at Martin Skrtel, for example, to score first.

The Slovakian centre-back has looked uncomfortable defensively in recent weeks, but his status as the league's top goalscoring defender shouldn't be ignored, especially against a Chelsea side lacking John Terry and Petr Cech.

Rodgers' only genuine selection decision concerns the fitness of Daniel Sturridge, who might not return against his former club. If he is available, Rodgers will return to the diamond midfield he played at Norwich last season - if not, it might again be something of a 4-3-2-1 system again, with both Coutinho and Sterling playing just behind Suarez. In truth, from a purely Liverpool perspective, Rodgers might as well risk Sturridge at this stage of the campaign, although the player himself will be desperate to avoid worsening his injury ahead of the World Cup.

Rodgers' other issue is the continued absence of Jordan Henderson through suspension - not a huge issue at Norwich, but potentially more problematic against a powerful Chelsea side. Rodgers would have asked him to pressure Nemanja Matic, cup-tied in Europe and therefore likely to start this weekend, but without a natural replacement for Henderson, the Serbian holding midfielder might command the midfield zone.

Chelsea are likely to play deeper than other big sides - Manchester City, Everton and Arsenal - have at Anfield, which means the home side might get less joy with pace in behind the defence, and will instead have longer, more sustained periods of possession.

The full-backs, Glen Johnson and Jon Flanagan, should feature more in advanced positions - but this would open up Liverpool to Chelsea's counter-attacks, likely to come from Mohamed Salah and possibly Andre Schurrle. There's no real need for Liverpool to be risky in this respect - a draw would be a decent result for the home side.

Another interesting subplot is Luis Suarez's performance. Although the Uruguayan has scored an amazing 30 goals in 30 league starts this season, his record against the rest of the top four is a distinctly unimpressive 0 in five. There's more to Suarez's game than goals, of course - in the 5-1 home win over Arsenal he was probably the game's best player despite not getting on the scoresheet - but it could be worth laying Suarez to score.

Mourinho Given Permission To Play Kids Against Liverpool

Mourinho claimed he would concede the Premier League title to Liverpool by fielding a weakened side when the two teams face each other on Sunday.

A win for Chelsea would still leave them two points behind Brendan Rodgers' men, whereas they go into the semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid as favourites to make the final.

The Chelsea manager has accepted that the Premier League is out of reach for this season and winning on Sunday would only help Manchester City's chances, not theirs.

Now the board at Stamford Bridge has given their consent for Mourinho to field whatever team he feels necessary, even if it means absorbing a heavy defeat.

It means that Mark Schwarzer could be rested to make way for third choice goalkeeper Henrique Hilario while chances could be given to under-21 stars Tomas Kalas, Nathan Ake and Andreas Christensen.

Manchester City is obviously very keen to see Chelsea win on Sunday as a win would put the title back within their reach. They are six points behind Liverpool but have a game in hand as well as a superior goal difference.

However, the Premier League has confirmed that Mourinho is entitled to play any team he desires.

Mick McCarthy and Ian Holloway have been fined for fielding weakened teams in the past but a movement, started by the latter of the aforementioned pair, forced the Premier League to change their policy on such matters.

Liverpool Plot Summer Move For Spanish Wonderkid

Liverpool are in pursuit of Spanish wonderkid Kuki Zalazar, reports Marca.

The 15-year-old, who is the son of former Uruguay international Jose Zalazar, is currently attached to the youth set-up of La Liga club Malaga.

The Spain Under-16 striker will be able to sign professional when he turns 16 in June and Malaga will try to persuade him to stay at the club with the promise of reserve-team football and a contact with the first team the following season.

However, Liverpool also want him and it is believed the Reds' greater financial firepower and more impressive academy facilities could tempt him to Merseyside instead.