Liverpool to spend big

The Reds signed once-capped England midfielder Henderson from Sunderland this week in a deal reportedly worth up to £20million. The 20-year-old is the third major signing since Kenny Dalglish's return as manager, with Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez joining in January.

"We wanted to make a signing early. The earlier the better because we can then re-adjust our strategy or decide we aren't going to do any more - which won't be the case now!" Comolli is quoted as saying in the Daily Mirror.

"I'm very pleased, because Jordan was one of the big targets we had. When you get your first target it's always a good sign because you think the others will come through as well."

Liverpool look set to miss out on both Phil Jones and Ashley Young to Manchester United, but with the likes of Ipswich's Connor Wickham and Blackpool captain Charlie Adam also on their radar, it is clear they are prioritising homegrown talent.

"If a player is English, or British or has played in the Premier League, we'll look at that over someone abroad," confirmed Comolli.

"We go for a player because he ticks all the boxes. It's what we need at this time in this window, and we have seen that with Henderson."