The biggest transfer stories of the day involving the Merseysiders.
Liverpool compete with Tottenham Hotspur for £10m Ben Davies
After the Reds had an initial £8m offer for the Swansea City left-back rejected, Spurs moved ahead on Wednesday by agreeing a £10m deal in principle for the youngster.
Yet manager Brendan Rodgers hasn’t given up hope of signing Davies just yet and is ready to compete with Tottenham for the 21-year-old’s signature, according to the Daily Star.
Rodgers watched the defender’s progression when he was Swansea boss and views the starlet as the ideal purchase after talks with Sevilla over Alberto Moreno came to a standstill.
Divock Origi will be at Lille next season says manager
Rene Girard, the boss of Ligue 1 side Lille, says Reds target Origi will be playing for his side next season and raises doubt over the 19-year-old’s transfer to England.
The Belgium international was understood to be in advanced talks over a £10m switch to Anfield, but that move has now been cast into doubt.
“Divock Origi will be here [at Lille] this season,” Girard was quoted by Sky Sports.
Stoke City on the verge of signing Oussama Assaidi for £7m
Having enjoyed a successful loan spell at the Britannia Stadium in 2013/14, winger Assaidi is ready to make the switch to the Potteries permanent, reports the Telegraph.
Manager Mark Hughes has been keen to land the Morocco international for some time and finally appears to have struck a deal to sign the 25-year-old for £7m.
Hughes briefly flirted with the idea of bringing in Nathan Redmond from Norwich City, but with the Canaries rejecting a £3.5m offer for the Englishman attention has turned back to Assaidi.
Reds will be fine without Luis Suarez says Daniel Sturridge
FC Barcelona confirmed on Wednesday that the £75m deal to sign Suarez from Anfield was 100% going to happen and it will leave a large gap in Rodgers’ squad.
Yet the Uruguayan’s ‘SAS’ striking partner of last term Sturridge says that other players will simply step up and that the 27-year-old can be replaced.
“When stars leave, a new star can be born, as they say,” the England international was quoted by the Daily Mail.
“There are a lot of players that can take that mantle, but it is a team game, regardless of whether there are star players within that team. It’s not about one person, it’s about the team.”
Rodgers is just as positive
The manager has also sent out a message of positivity after the loss of Suarez, with the Northern Irishman claiming his team will get stronger this year, not weaker.
The Merseyside outfit began their pre-season fixtures on Wednesday with a 2-1 defeat to Brondby and after the game Rodgers gave his thoughts on the upcoming 2014/15 campaign.
“Every team will strengthen and we’ll be exactly the same. We will progress again from last season,” the 41-year-old told the club’s website.
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