Three players that would help take the Anfield club back into the Champions League.
Yann M’Vila – Rubin Kazan
The Frenchman has been on the verge of a move to England for the past two years, but bafflingly decided to head to Russia during the January transfer window instead. And unsurprisingly, it hasn’t worked out. He’s not happy at Rubin Kazan and could be on his way out just a year after joining.
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Liverpool would have the distinct advantage too, with the player already having been spotted in the crowd at Anfield to take in the Liverpool derby last month. He is reputed to be close friends with current Reds stopper Mamadou Sakho and even proclaimed current captain Steven Gerrard as his favourite player.
Having only cost the Russian side £9.6m it is unlikely that Liverpool would have to pay over the odds to get him on board and he would add some sturdiness to their back line, and his versatility means that he will be able to fill in in a more defensive midfield capacity too.
Xherdan Shaqiri – Bayern Munich
The Reds are a little short on midfield options at the moment, especially in wide positions, and recent injury problems have meant that they are now down to only two fit central players.
The young Swiss international has been widely tipped for a bright future in the game since coming through the ranks at FC Basel, but sadly things have not quite worked out for him with the current Bundesliga and European champions. With the kind of talent in front of him at Bayern it is not surprising that he would be open to moving on. Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben occupy the two starting roles on the wings, and with Pep Guardiola bringing in Mario Gotze and Thiago Alcantara over the summer his opportunities were always going to be limited.
However, with the World Cup on the horizon he will be keen to see more action and in Brendan Rodgers he will have a manager who has no problem with giving chances to young players on the fringes of some of the best side’s in Europe (Sturridge, Coutinho) and he still has the potential to be a world beater under the right guidance. He has been linked with a move to Anfield on several occasions, and January may be the time when it finally goes through.
Ribeiro – Cruziero
Exciting Brazilian talent never comes cheap, but at £15m it’s about as cheap as it ever will be. Both Liverpool and Manchester United have been on the trail of the 24-year-old and have sent scouts over to South America to watch him on numerous occasions.
The Reds have already built a solid attacking base, but as injuries strike over the course of the season having more than one option is always a help. The more options they can provide for star man Luis Suarez will also help to persuade him to stay put too.
United’s interest is a potential stumbling block, but the longer they continue to falter then the easier it will be for Brendan Rodgers to bring him on board.
Also adept at playing on the wing, he would be more than valuable in the run in to the end of the season.
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