Liverpool transfer news and rumours: Liverpool set to go back in for Kyriakos Papadopoulos

Liverpool will make another attempt to sign Kyriakos Papadopoulos, with the Schalke defender reportedly ready to move abroad.

The highly-rated Greek international has been plagued by injuries over the past few years and is currently on-loan at Bayer Leverkusen until the end of the season.

Brendan Rodgers is preparing a £4.4million offer according to Metro, who suggest that Papadopoulos remains open to the idea of joining a Premier League side.

OUR VIEW: Papadopoulos is a magnificent talent who has seen his stock decline in recent years due to his poor injury record. The 23-year-old is able to play at centre back or defensive midfield and is still considered one of Greek football's biggest prospects. If Rodgers did manage to secure his signature then it would certainly be a coup.

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Liverpool will have to fend off Chelsea and Arsenal if they want to land Inter Milan's Argentine forward Mauro Icardi.

Inter will demand £30 million for the former Sampdoria player, according to the Express.

They are apparently resigned to losing him to the Premier League because they cannot afford to meet the player's wage demands.

Icardi, 21, is on £15,000 per week, but is apparently looking for £44,000 a week to stay in Milan.

With a Premier League move looming, it could all come down to spending power with Liverpool facing a tough task to match the wages on offer at Chelsea and Arsenal.

OUR VIEW: One for the summer, but the cost and competition to sign Icardi will be the defining factors on whether or not they can complete such a deal. And whether or not Mario Balotelli and Fabio Borini remain at Anfield.

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Liverpool are planning a stunning doube raid of Hannover for duo Lars Stindl and Leonardo Bittencourt.

With Steven Gerrard heading for LA Galaxy at the end of the season, Brendan Rodgers is apparently keen to secure a deal for the Bundesliga players.

Lucas Leiva could also be on the way out of Liverpool this summer, and Raheem Sterling has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Stindl could be available for £2.2 million while German U21 winger Bittencourt could be on the market for £6 million.

That would not be a problem for Liverpool as they seek to begin their summer spending spree in earnest.

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Liverpool are hoping to complete a stunning £14 million swoop for Paris-Saint Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi before deadline day, according to various reports.

The Argentina international player is set to depart PSG after being dropped from Laurent Blanc's winter training camp.

Lavezzi is set to be very unhappy about being axed by Blanc. He played only five minutes of PSG's 1-0 recent win over Saint Etienne.

Liverpool tried to land Lavezzi during the last transfer window, but now look set to retun to the French capital to finalise the transfer.

Lavezzi will bolster Liverpool's bid to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League after a frustrating season for the club's fans.

OUR VIEW: Brendan Rodgers claims Liverpool wouldn't be conducting any business during the window, but Lavezzi would be a nice winter warmer for the club's fans.

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Real Madrid are considering a shock double swoop for Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling and Tottenham forward Harry Kane, according to media reports.

Spanish sports website Fichajes.net suggest Karim Benzema will be sold to fund the dramatic moves.

Kane has appeared on Madrid's radar after scoring 18 goals for Spurs this season.

Sterling has been touted as a target for Carlo Ancelotti's side with rumours increasing after the England winger recently rejected a new contract from the Anfield club.

Liverpool offered Sterling a £70,000-a-week deal, but he is apparently holding out for £100,000.

Sterling has a £26 million asking price on his head, but that is unlikely to deter the European champions.

OUR VIEW: If you had to pick a Real target, Sterling would be it. Not sure Harry Kane is quite ready to follow in the footsteps of Gareth Bale. And Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is not likely to let Kane depart on the cheap. Especially to Madrid.

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers won't flog Mario Balotelli in the January transfer window.

Balotelli has scored two goals in 18 appearances since his £16 million switch from Milan, and wasn't on the bench for the 0-0 draw with Bolton in the FA Cup on Saturday.

"We will give Mario every chance,” said Rodgers.

“We brought him in here for this season to give him every chance to show consistently that he can play for a team at the top of this level.

“It’s been a difficult period for him but he’s a good boy. He wants to fight for his chance here.

“I’ve seen some bits this morning suggesting that’s him done here. That’s not the case at all.

“I’ve shown in my time here that if players who have been out the fold for various reasons work hard every day in training and show intensity and focus then they have every chance of getting back in the side and staying there.”

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Arsenal are set to beat Liverpool to the signing of Fiorentina goalkeeper Norberto Neto.

Brazilian goalkeeper Neto was tipped as the man to take over from Simon Mignolet, who has been struggling for form this term and is only in the team due to Brad Jones suffering a leg injury against Burnley on Boxing Day.

But Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is apparently also keen to land Neto despite David Ospina taking over from dropped Poland international Wojciech Szczesny in recent weeks.

Wenger is studying a possible move for Neto with Chelsea unwilling to let Petr Cech leave the club on loan this season.

When Wenger was quizzed on whether or not Szczesny would feature in the FA Cup match at Brighton, he said: "I haven’t made that decision yet."

But now he could hijack Liverpool's pursuit of the player as they try to strike a transfer window blow to their top four rivals.

OUR VIEW: Goalkeepers are obviously scarce. Little surprise two Premier League clubs are looking at Neto.

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is keen to build his team around Philippe Coutinho, according to media reports.

Coutinho, 22, is a real flair player with passing and vision bringing an aded dimension to the Anfield team.

It is no coincidence that Liverpool have struggled with Coutinho in and out of the team this season.

Coutinho's current deal expires in 2018, but Liverpool are looking to revise the terms of the contract as they seek to ensure he can't be picked up by a larger European club.

Rodgers yesterday said that he expects Liverpool to challenge for the title next season. He obviously sees the Portuguese player as a figure who can help him realise that dream.

OUR VIEW: Liverpool certainly seem to carry more of a threat with Coutinho in the team as they proved when they almost won the Premier League last season with the former Inter midfielder at the heart of their side. It would be like a new signing for the club if they can get the deal done in the window.

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According to the Daily Star, Liverpool and Chelsea are engaged in a £32m transfer war for Inter forward Mauro Icardi, who has scored 19 goals in 40 games for the Nerazzurri.

OUR VIEW: That seems a bit steep for a player who is admittedly talented but is hardly an established world star just yet. Still, Liverpool need an injection of quality wherever they can get it. Chelsea's interest is rather more unexpected, though if Drogba retires in the summer they will have a space in their squad.

With Brendan Rodgers losing faith in No. 1 Mignolet due to his poor footwork, a new keeper is a priority at Anfield and the club appear to have decided on Australia international Mathew Ryan as his replacement. According to the Daily Mail: "Liverpool are showing an interest in Club Brugge goalkeeper Mathew Ryan. The 22-year-old Australia international has been outstanding in the Belgian league this season and excelled in the recent Europa League tie with Torino."

OUR VIEW: He might only be 6ft but Ryan has a big reputation and Liverpool would do well to take a punt on him. At 22 he has his best years ahead of him as a goalkeeper and could be the long-term occupant of the Liverpool No. 1 shirt.

The Daily Express reports that Liverpool are set to make a superb addition to their squad in the form of £8m PSG star Ezequiel Lavezzi, whose time in Paris appears to be coming to an end. The Argentina forward has had problems with the club, who are keen to have him off their books.

OUR VIEW: This would be an absolute steal, and for a player Liverpool have been after for years and years. Lavezzi has the kind of direct threat that the Reds have been lacking since Luis Suarez left - not that he is as good of course.

A former player could be returning to Liverpool with the Daily Express reporting that defender Alvaro Arbeloa is being monitored by Brendan Rodgers and his recruitment team. However, Chelsea and Arsenal are also said to be after the Real Madrid man, who is not in Carlo Ancelotti's immediate first-team plans.

OUR VIEW: It seems rather implausible that all three clubs are keen on Arbeloa, especially Chelsea who have numbers in defence, but a return to Anfield would be rather romantic for a player who is remembered fondly for his time in red. It's not the most concrete story but one to keep monitoring.

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Rumours continue to grow that Liverpool are eyeing up one of Rafa Benitez's best players with Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain linked with a £30m move to Anfield. However, any deal will likely be contingent on Liverpool moving on Mario Balotelli, who has been linked with a shock move to Serie A champions Juventus for around £14m.

OUR VIEW: This would be great business for Brendan Rodgers. Not only would he acquire a prolific striker who would improve almost any team, but he would also move on a flop signing who has brought very little to the club. A win-win, if they can get it over the line.

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Liverpool could be set to make a move for Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, reports the Daily Star. Ter Stegen, 22, joined Barcelona from Borussia Monchengladbach for £9.7m in the summer but has seen his first team opportunities limited with Claudio Bravo Luis Enrique’s favoured keeper. The German keeper, capped four times by his country, has expressed his frustration at his lack of playing time. “It’s good to be at Barca but the situation is difficult. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care and it isn’t easy being a spectator,” he German publication Sport Bild. His frustrations could see Liverpool make a move with their incumbent, Simon Mignolet, still struggling for form.

The smart move would have been to sign Victor Valdes on a free but somehow Liverpool let him through their grasp. Valdes would have still represented a risk considering that he has not played in the Premier League but he was available for a free so worth said risk. Ter Stegen will cost and is not guaranteed to excel. They can’t afford to sign a keeper who won’t perform immediately that is why they have to move heaven and earth to secure the services of Petr Cech if he is available.

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Liverpool are probing for Roma's Miralem Pjanic and reports suggest they have prepared an offer of €30m for the club and an annual €4m for the player. The English club is looking for a replacement for their icon Steven Gerrard and their priority is seen as for a quality playmaker. Pjanic, who joined Roma in the summer of 2011 and has since established himself as one of their most prominent midfielders, is listed by the Gazzetta dello Sport as an identified target. According to Thursday's edition of the pink paper, the Reds are looking to offer €30m to the Giallorossi for the Bosnian talent. They are also preparing a contract which includes wages of €4m a year for the player, who currently earns €3.6m.

Steven Gerrard's departure was always going to set tongues wagging - expect Pjanic to be just the first of many players to be linked with the Reds as they lose their icon. And we can't see much of substance in this yet - although the very fact that the report comes from Italy rather than an over-excitable English paper does suggest to us that there may be an element of truth.