A collection of targets who could help propel the Anfield side into the top four.
5. Ashley Williams (Swansea City)
The link between Ashley Williams and Liverpool is a natural one – the Anfield club need a new centre-back bringing in and manager Brendan Rodgers him well from his time at Swansea City.
Williams, the Welsh international defender, has been impressive for Swansea City in the clubs year and a half in the Premier League, marshalling the defence through that time. Rodgers knows him well and, with Sebastian Coates expected to leave in the summer and the future of Jamie Carragher continues to be unclear, he could make a move.
Williams will certainly go down well with Liverpool fans following his exploits in firing the ball onto Robin Van Persie’s head from close range this season – something that will endear him to the Anfield faithful!
He is clearly comfortable on the ball – he adapted to Rodgers’ approach to the game at Swansea City – and would therefore easily pick up the Liverpool system too.
4. Fernando Amorebieta (Athletic Bilbao)
If a bid for Ashley Williams fails to come to fruition, then it could be Fernando Amorebieta who arrives at Anfield in the summer to bolster the defence ranks.
The Venezuelan international has been with Athletic Bilbao in La Liga in Spain since 2005 and brings a wealth of experience with him, and Liverpool and Arsenal are both said to have been impressed with him and interested in signing him.
He would not cost the earth and, at 6ft 4in, would provide additional height in the heart of the Liverpool defence to compliment that already offered by the first choice pairing of Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger.
Sebastian Coates looks destined to leave in the summer after failing to force his way in the thinking of manager Brendan Rodgers and Jamie Carragher’s future remains up in the air, so signing a new centre-back is a summer priority for Liverpool.
3. Victor Valdes (Barcelona)
The Spanish international sparked much speculation about his future when revealing he will not sign a new contract at Barcelona when his contract expires at the end of next season and Victor Valdes is expected to sold this summer as a result.
He has been linked with moves to Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers should be ensuring he is at the head of that list with doubts surrounding the future of Pepe Reina on Merseyside.
Reina is expected to leave the club at the end of the season to join Barcelona as Valdes’ replacement and Liverpool needs a top-quality goalkeeper to replace him.
Having missed out on young England goalkeeper Jack Butland, who agreed to join Stoke City from Birmingham City, Liverpool should be stepping up the chase of Valdes who remains one of the best shot-stoppers in the world.
2. Balazs Dzsudzsak (Dinamo Moscow)
Liverpool failed in a bid to sign Hungarian international midfielder Balazs Dzsudzsak from Dinamo Moscow in the January transfer window but are expected to return to sign the winger in the summer.
The wide roles are positions manager Brendan Rodgers wants to strengthen – particularly the left-side where Stewart Downing’s future remains unclear – and the 26-year-old Dzsudzsak is the man he wants.
He was a real star of the PSV Eindhoven side previously, when he caught the eye of Rodgers, before earning a big money move to Russia with Anzhi Makhachkala and then Dinamo Moscow who he has been with for the last 12 months.
The player himself expects talks to resume in the summer, so it seems likely that this deal will happen and another Premier League star could be born.
1. Tom Ince (Blackpool)
Liverpool sold Tom Ince for just £250,000 a year-and-a-half ago after deciding he wasn’t up to the grade at Anfield, but manager Brendan Rodgers will do his all this summer to bring the young midfielder back to the club.
Negotiations with Blackpool came to a halt in January as the asking price continued to rise from the initial price of £6million – the stumbling block being that Liverpool are entitled to 35 per cent of the transfer fee as part of a sell-on clause.
But discussion are likely to resume in the summer and we should see Tom Ince, whose father Paul played in Liverpool colours, back at Anfield with more time to discuss the terms of any potential deal.
England under-21 international Ince is a real star and he is expected to go on to become of the big names of the Premier League in the years to come and Liverpool should make sure it is for them rather than one of their rivals.