Manager Brendan Rodgers' need for new attacking options intensified after his Liverpool side's 0-0 draw Saturday with West Bromwich Albion. PSV Eindhoven starlet Memphis Depay and Aston Villa powerhouse Christian Benteke have been named as the Reds' top targets in what would be an exciting haul for the Merseyside club.
Rodgers largely batted away questions from the media about Depay after the Baggies stalemate. As reported by John Percy of The Telegraph, the Northern Irishman didn't want to be drawn on speculation the Dutchman met Liverpool officials.
"I can't confirm either way," said Rodgers. "The kid is obviously a very talented player but I wouldn't look to confirm anything."
Depay's quality can be seen below:
The player himself denied he held talks with Manchester United, per Alex Harris of the Daily Star, perhaps offering Liverpool a boost in the race for his signature.
"I know nothing myself so I have nothing to say," said Depay. "Otherwise I wouldn't say this. Of course I'm looking at beautiful leagues. And then it's always nice if clubs are interested. But I don't want to say anything about that. We'll see how things go."
Tony Barrett of The Times offers his knowledge:
Depay netted his 21st goal of the Eredivisie season during PSV's 3-2 win over Excelsior, a week after Phillip Cocu's men captured the Dutch title. The youngster is both an immense prospect and a player for the here and now, someone who can regularly make the difference in important matches.
A potential Liverpool front three of Depay, Raheem Sterling and (a fit) Daniel Sturridge would be as tricky as they come.
Rodgers has continued to look for a powerful spearhead since Luis Suarez's departure—bringing in Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert—but reports of Benteke could be an interesting avenue for the Reds.
Percy believes the in-form Belgian could cost more than £30 million, however, so it might be an idea for Liverpool to throw Lambert into a player-plus-cash deal, taking advantage of Villa's previous interest in the Englishman.
Benteke is a confidence player. He has scored nine in his last eight matches, per WhoScored.com, enjoying a much better turn of form since Tim Sherwood replaced Paul Lambert in the manager's chair.
He holds the ball up well, throws his weight around and is a sharp finisher inside the box. Benteke is also capable of curling home free-kicks and dropping slightly deep to allow effective runners beyond his position, a style perfect for Liverpool.
B/R UK's Sam Tighe looked at other stars who would slot right into Rodgers' team:
Liverpool will be just four points behind fourth-placed United if they beat Hull City during their game in hand. Considering United have now lost two in a row, fans will start to believe Champions League football is possible again.
Quality, developing players such as Depay and Benteke could take Liverpool to the next level. Significant cash needs to be spent if the Anfield club is to keep up with the Premier League's giants, as after three trophyless years on Merseyside, Rodgers' need for success is growing more desperate with each passing game.
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