Rodgers: 'We should have won'

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has claimed that his side should have beaten Manchester City following their 2-2 draw in the Premier League on Sunday.

Goals from Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard saw the Reds lead at the Etihad Stadium after Edin Dzeko's opener, but an error from Pepe Reina allowed Sergio Aguero to earn a point for the champions.



"It should have been a win for ourselves, I thought we played terrific and were the dominant team," Rodgers told BBC Sport. "We scored two wonderful goals and I am disappointed with the goals we conceded.



"The template of our game is improving, we need to cut out the mistakes and we can challenge at top of the league.



"We have come to the home of the champions and dominated. We know we can be better."



The result means that Liverpool stay in seventh place in the table.

Rodgers: Suarez is Liverpool’s Messi

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has placed Luis Suarez in the same class as Barcelona’s Lionel Messi following the Uruguay international's match-winning display against Sunderland.



After setting up Raheem Sterling's opener, the 25-year-old put two goals past the Black Cats on Wednesday night to seal all three points for the Merseyside outfit.



And Rodgers was liberal in his praise for the striker, suggesting that he can maintain his form through playing as many as three games a week, such is his talent.



"Luis was sensational [against Sunderland],” he told the Daily Mirror. “His cleverness in finding space is incredible.



"He's a striker that has to play two or three times a week to be on top of his game - one game a week is no good to him. He needs to be playing.



"And you see the response you get from him. His work has never dropped. Like Messi he is a real team player and trains every day.



“He is never in the treatment room and then he comes out and performs. As the ball moves he finds the spaces. He's a wonderful talent, and it will be fantastic to see him develop here."



QPR boss Harry Redknapp also echoed Rodgers’ comparison to Argentina international Messi after the London outfit’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on December 30.



“I was talking with Harry Redknapp after our game at QPR,” Rodgers explained. “He said Luis is a Messi-type character,”



Adamant that a challenge for Champions League football is still possible, Rodgers has admitted a good run of results could build up enough momentum to propel the club into the prestigious top four come the campaign’s end.



"I believe the second half of the season we can up the tempo and kick on as we have always hoped to do.” he continued. “You could see it in our performance tonight [against Sunderland], we have the capacity to do that. It's about consistency from now, and I hope we can get that.



"We were disappointed with the performance against Stoke, but six goals and two clean sheets is the perfect reaction to that, and it's nine points from 12 over the difficult Christmas period."

Kevin Gameiro on Liverpool list

Manager Brendan Rodgers had originally lined up the Frenchman as an alternative to Sturridge, in case the deal for the England striker faltered.



But he is now keen to add even more striking power to his ranks and hopes to sign Gameiro as well to revamp his attacking options.



The 25 year-old would be a versatile addition to the squad, able to play in a variety of forward roles. His age also fits the profile of the club’s American owners, who have made it clear they do not want to sanction expensive deals for players in their late twenties or thirties.



Gameiro was one of the most highly sought after attackers in French football when he moved to PSG for £9 million in the summer of 2011. He scored 14 goals last season, and is also a France international.



But the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic at PSG has limited his opportunities during this campaign.



Liverpool are not the only side interested in the player, but Rodgers will hope a fresh start on Merseyside will enable Gameiro to recapture his best form.



Sturridge’s signing will be confirmed this week, but it will be too soon for the £12 million purchase from Chelsea to make his debut against Sunderland on Wednesday. He has already completed a medical and agreed personal terms, but he will not be registered in time.



The 23 year-old has been pencilled in to face Mansfield in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.



Negotiations for Blackpool midfielder Thomas Ince have temporarily stalled after fraught discussions with the Championship club. Liverpool’s valuation of around £4 million – for a player who left Anfield last season for £500,000 and is available for free this summer – was considered ‘too low’. There is no prospect of Liverpool bidding any higher since Ince will be out of contract in the summer.



After similarly difficult negotiations when Charlie Adam made the same move – a deal which actually led to Ince moving to Blackpool – Liverpool are wary of overpaying again. Ince’s heart is set on a return to Merseyside.



Liverpool are also keen to loan out Uruguayan defender Sebastian Coates. Napoli, Juventus, Lazio and Santos are interested.



Rodgers is looking at 21-year-old French defender Nicolas Isimat-Mirin from Valenciennes, but Liverpool have also rejected a potential swap deal involving Joe Cole and Lille’s Salomon Kalou.



The Liverpool players were given Monday off to avoid the spreading of the illness which affected Rodgers on Sunday. The club’s pre-match press conference ahead of their Sunderland fixture was also cancelled, but the players are scheduled to return to training on Tuesday.

Fourth spot still a realistic aim for us, says Rodgers

Liverpool are confident of finalising deals for Tom Ince and Daniel Sturridge.



Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes a top four finish is “absolutely, absolutely” a realistic aim for the 12-placed club and says he is taking heart from the fact that nobody has pulled away in fourth spot.



“Let’s be honest – it is a big ask; a massive ask,” said Rodgers, ahead of his side’s meeting with Southampton at Anfield today. “But [fourth] has to be our target. We are going to look to try and get as close to that as we possibly can.



Rodgers, whose side are 10 points off fourth-placed West Bromwich Albion, was bullish about the club’s potential activity in the January transfer market, at the end of a week in which he agreed that the managerial uncertainty at Stamford Bridge may make a move for Daniel Sturridge easier. Liverpool are confident of finalising a £6m deal for Blackpool’s Tom Ince as well as adding Sturridge for a further £12m.



Asked if he was looking at one or two signings or as much as he could achieve, Rodgers replied: “As much as I can do, really. [But] we have got a real good group here. I have always thought that if you have three-and-a-half goal-scorers in your team, you have got a chance. We have got Luis Suarez. Steven Gerrard will get goals. He has been terrific this season and taken on an even greater responsibility with the juniors. But he will get goals. There is no question of that. If we can add a couple more that you know are goal-scorers, who instinctively get into the box and get goals, with the domination that we are having in games, then we have got a chance in the second half of the season. We are going into a month that if we can



Lucas Leiva is expected to make his long-awaited return return today, having been rested from the rigours of the midweek game at Tottenham to be ready for a game which Rodgers needs to win. That will provide rigour and free Gerrard to advance more, after a disappointing few months by his standards.



Another of the disappointments for Rodgers has been Nuri Sahin, who has not proved tp be the stand-out player who was expected when he opted for Anfield rather than the Emirates, arriving on loan from Real Madrid this summer. The manager admitted that the tempo of the Premier League was something the 24-year-old was struggling to adapt to.



“His attitude has been first class. I always look at the midfield players and their goals and assists. I look at tackles won and with Nuri he has come in and played more games than he has probably thought. But he is a good guy who is working hard. It is just about the balance really. I don’t think he has struggled with the physical side of it. He has played in Germany. It’s just the tempo here is greater. You have to respect that he has come back from nearly a year out of it. This first six months he has played quite a number of games. I have had a chance to assess him and see where he is at. But if you are out of the team, you just have to continue to work hard. If your chance comes, you have to take it.”



Liverpool’s lack of a striker has clearly contributed to them slipping four points behind Swansea City and three points behind Stoke City in the Premier League, but Rodgers insisted that this had not been a wasted five months.



“I would never say managing this club is a waste,” he said. “I’ve got to say it’s been a privilege here and I’ve learned a lot. I spoke to Stevie [Gerrard] after Tottenham and he said it was the best Liverpool have played there in 12 years going to White Hart Lane. That shows you with the lack of experience in the group but it’s also about getting results and I have total faith that we will do that. As I said, from the first six months, it was really about improving that unity in the group, trying to find different solutions. I believe that will grow even more. We are creating enough pressure and getting enough of the ball. If we can the right profile of players… the last five months have highlighted the need for that even more. If we get one or two to finish it off we can go on a great run.”



Liverpool face what they would historically have considered to be an easy run until mid-January - meeting West Ham, Aston Villa, Fulham, Stoke City, QPR and Sunderland before they meet Manchester United at Old Trafford on January 13.




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Rodgers: Liverpool not far off top four rivals

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers reckons his side are on the right path towards matching Tottenham and challenging regularly for Champions League football again.



Rodgers can guide his side into the top half of the Premier League for the first time this season with a win at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night.



His first five months at Anfield have been made trickier by the challenges of trying to improve a lop-sided squad short of top-class strikers on a limited budget. But even though he has seen Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas spend £57 million on six players, including Liverpool summer target Clint Dempsey, Rodgers is not envious.



The Liverpool boss was a target for Spurs as they looked to replace Harry Redknapp at the start of the summer, but insists he made the right choice by moving to Anfield in June.



"I was very happy in my work at Swansea," Rodgers said. "Harry had done a brilliant job there, and for whatever reason, the club decided that it wasn't to be and looked elsewhere.



"For me to leave Swansea was going to be a big ask, but I had the opportunity to come here, and I've not regretted any moment of it."



Asked if there had been contact with Tottenham over their manager's job earlier this year, Rodgers said: "It's irrelevant. Tottenham have chosen a manager. Obviously, Harry had done a great job there, and they decided to go down the route of Andre Villas-Boas.



"Andre's gone in, he's looking to continue the great work Harry had done. My only thinking is about Liverpool."



Rodgers found it hard to hide his disappointment at missing out on Dempsey, who wanted to join Liverpool from Fulham in August, only for the deal to fall through, with Tottenham signing him for £6 million instead.



By the time Dempsey's future was sorted, Rodgers had already allowed Andy Carroll to join West Ham on a season's loan. The Liverpool manager has since had to manage a chronic shortage of strikers.



"There was an offer to sign Clint," he said. "He was a player who had been terrific at Fulham, so we were interested in him, and I'm sure several other clubs were as well. The club felt they had done what they could to get the player. It wasn't to be, and he moved to Tottenham. Our life moves on."



Rodgers feels Liverpool are on the right lines, heading to White Hart Lane unbeaten in eight league games - although that run includes five draws.



"We know we're not too far away," he said. "We're very, very close to arriving in that zone that we want to be in. You only need to look at some of the things that have gone against us in terms of goals disallowed, for instance. If you take those points alone, over the course of a few games, that would be shooting us right up there.



"But we're just going to look to take care of our own game and keep progressing. We know we have the qualities to grow and arrive up in there."



Anfield has not hosted Champions League football since Liverpool were eliminated in the group stages in December 2009. Tottenham, on the other hand, reached the quarter-finals in 2010-11 before losing to Real Madrid, and would have qualified for this season's competition had Chelsea not won it in May.



Rodgers acknowledges that he will not be given the money by owners Fenway Sports Group to match Tottenham's spending, and so has to find other ways to improve Liverpool's fortunes.



"Tottenham have been building the group steadily, and they've worked their way up to become challengers for those Champions League positions," Rodgers said. "They have invested heavily and done it over a number of windows. We're trying to arrive in that position, and we're seeing what it sometimes takes to do that.



"But if you haven't got the investment, then you have to find other ways of doing it, and that's where we are at the moment. We look at our way of working. Can we be different in our way of playing? Can we develop young players and bring them through? Can we find a bargain somewhere?



"Of course, Liverpool always want to be in for the top talent, and this is a club that can attract those players. But going forward, a lot of players want to be in the Champions League. So they want to come in to hear that's somewhere we want to get to in the coming years.



"It's about getting young players through, finding players we can develop, players who are hungry, and players who really want to succeed in helping the club move forward."

Liverpool show an interest in Rossi

According to the Daily Express, Brendan Rodgers is looking to bring striker Giuseppe Rossi to Anfield in the January transfer window, despite the fact that he is out with a knee ligament injury right now.



The former Manchester United man has been out of action for 13 months now, but does seem to be on the road to recovery – so Rodgers would of course have to be patient with the Italian.



Rossi is highly-rated across Europe and if the Reds can bring him to the English Premier League, it would certainly be a fantastic bit of business.



The striker is currently plying his trade at Villarreal, who are in the Spanish second division right now after being relegated from La Liga last campaign, so it is likely that Rossi will be on the move when he returns to action.



The Spanish club will do all they can to keep hold of him though, or really cash-in on one of their most prized assets.



Liverpool need to add attackers to their squad and Rodgers is desperate to take some of the pressure of leading scorer Luis Suarez, who is the only recognised striker for the Reds boss to call upon at the moment.

Rodgers: We were outstanding

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers praised Stewart Downing after he scored the winner against Anzhi Makhachkala.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for his players following the 1-0 victory over Anzhi Makhachkala.

Stewart Downing smashed home the winner in the 53rd minute at Anfield with an unstoppable right-foot shot after cutting in from the left flank.

Rodgers, whose team now top Europa League Group A, said: "Great credit to the players. Anzhi are a very good side with some outstanding players. Tonight was an excellent performance.

"I thought the players were terrific, they took control of the game, and then when they had to dig deep towards the end they put their bodies on the line and got their blocks in and they were outstanding.

"It's three clean sheets in a row which is important for us and we're now adding that bit of steel and concentration to some of the footballing elements that we're working on.

"It was a good win and we can now recover and look forward to the weekend."

On Downing, Rodgers added: "It was brilliant goal. He's had a rough ride here really, it's been difficult time for him, but he got a great round of applause from the Kop and if you can get that from the Kop then it'll give you a massive lift going forward.

"He's a good guy, he's working very hard and he's a very important member of our team."

Rodgers explains Agger absence

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has dismissed suggestions of Daniel Agger's Europa League absence being an indicator of a move to Manchester City.



The centre-back was left out of the Anfield club's squad for Thursday evening's Europa League qualifier against FC Gomel and that sparked extra speculation.



Liverpool had rejected two bids from City for Agger and further reports had since suggested the Dane handed in a transfer request.



Agger's agent, Per Steffensen, on Thursday night did little to calm the situation by announcing his client was 'not injured in any way' before the Gomel game.



But Rodgers is adamant the injury-prone centre-back was only absent in Belarus due to fitness issues, as he said: "The plan was always for Daniel to stay behind.



"Everyone knows his history of injuries. He came back to pre-season training after everyone else and is still not up to speed.



"He is fit but I have to make sure he is up to speed before he plays, because everyone knows his history with injuries."

Agger is under contract with Liverpool until the summer of June 2014 and earlier this summer he admitted he would welcome the chance to discuss a new deal.



City could therefore find it difficult to convince their Premier League rivals to sell and reports have suggested the English champions are instead looking at Marseille's Nicolas N'Koulou.

Rogers: Suarez must forget Evra row

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has urged striker Luis Suarez to put the much-publicised controversies of last season behind him and move on.



Rodgers was also keen to point out that rival fans only single out good players for stick after the Uruguay international found himself being jeered and booed by the crowd during this week's Olympic Games defeat to Great Britain at the Millennium Stadium.



"The first point is that opposition fans only give people stick because they're good players - you don't see bad ones getting it," Rodgers was quoted as saying in several newspapers.



Suarez was handed an eight-game suspension and a £40,000 fine in December after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra in a Barclays Premier League match at Anfield.



The controversy was reignited in February when Suarez seemingly refused Evra's handshake as the teams conducted their traditional pre-match greeting in the return meeting at Old Trafford.



Suarez then reopened old wounds during an interview with a Uruguayan television show last month, where he accused United of having too much power and blamed Evra for the failure to shake hands.



Rodgers continued: "Luis probably still feels a little bit of injustice about last season, but for me the message is that we have to move on.



"We have to move forward. What's happened has happened and let's let it go now, however hard it is. We want to be winning games and doing our best for the football club."



Suarez saw his participation in the Olympics come to an end with the defeat loss to Team GB as the highly-fancied Uruguayans were dumped out.

Rodgers is now looking forward to welcoming the 25-year-old back into the fold with the Reds' season having already begun with Thursday's 1-0 victory over Belarus' FC Gomel in the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round clash.



"It will be fantastic to have Luis coming back, and he is already fighting fit," said Rodgers, who replaced Kenny Dalglish in the Liverpool hotseat this summer.



"He will have a couple of days off and join up with us after the weekend. He's been playing games, so he will already be up to a decent level of fitness, maybe even higher really, because he's had more competitive games. I'm really looking forward to working with him."



Regarding further additions to his squad, Rodgers said: "There is nothing imminent just yet, not that I am aware of, but hopefully things will progress over the next couple of days. It may take one or two moves to spark everything off.



"I want players in sooner rather than later, it is important to get the group together as quickly as possible, but if not we will just have to be patient.



"I have also looked at one or two loan deals from abroad. There are some quality players in that market that I have inquired about. The make-up of the group will change before the season starts and that will change the dynamic of the team also."

Liverpool boss closing in on players

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers hopes to have completed 'a number of deals' before the transfer window closes at the end of August.

But he has urged fans to not believe all the speculation.

The new Anfield boss has already signed striker Fabio Borini, who he worked with at former club Swansea City.

Another of Rodgers' former Liberty Stadium players, Joe Allen, is also a target, along with Fulham's Clint Dempsey, who has missed his club's Swiss training camp.

Liverpool, who could also be selling the likes of Andy Carroll and Alberto Aquilani to finance incomings, are talking about deals and Rodgers is optimistic about further additions.

He said: "There's a lot of great work going on, obviously with the board and (managing director) Ian Ayre in particular doing a lot of work behind the scenes.

"Obviously when it's a club like Liverpool prices are always increased, but I always felt it was important by the beginning of the season we could have the squad we want - and certainly by the end of the transfer window I would hope that will be the case.

"There is lots of speculation. I've seen hundreds of names linked with Liverpool and there's very few of them that were even close to coming here or even close that we have looked at.



"But there is a lot of work going on, on a number of deals and hopefully we can get those completed by the end of August."

Rodgers hints that Carroll has won him round

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists Andy Carroll is happy to stay at the club and can fit into the new style of play he is trying to impose at Anfield.



Carroll is widely expected to leave Liverpool this summer after he struggled to make an impact since joining from Newcastle United for a club-record £35 million in January 2011.



The England international's former club have already made a move to take Carroll back to St James Park but the deal was rejected by the Reds.



West Ham have also made a £2 million bid to take Carroll on loan until the end of the 2012-13 season with a view to a £16 million permanent switch, if the club avoid relegation.



But Rodgers is adamant the striker, who came off the substitutes' bench in Liverpool's pre-season goalless draw against Tottenham in America on Saturday, is still in his plans for next season.



Reds boss Rodgers said: "Not that I am aware of. Obviously I'll know more when we get back.



"There has been a lot written about Andy, but you saw today he's happy to be here and he's worked very well since he's been here.



"The reality is he's still a Liverpool player, he can fit into how I want to play, and he's happy here. I'm certainly not wishing to push him out of the door."

Reds realistic over top four ambitions

Liverpool owner John Henry says Brendan Rodgers will not be under pressure if he fails to secure Champions League football this season.



The Northern Irishman has been handed the reins at Anfield after Kenny Dalglish parted ways with the club following a mixed season which saw the Reds win the Carling Cup but finish eighth in the league.



Rodgers has been brought in on a long-term deal to try and get Liverpool back on level terms with the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea.



The Reds have qualified for the Europa League this season but it isn't the European competition they want to be in, with the Anfield faithfully desperate for Champions League football.



Having finished 18 points off fourth-placed Arsenal last season, Henry says the club will remain realistic for their aims for the 2012-13 campaign and says a top four finish isn't the minimum expected of Rodgers.



"We don't want to put any pressure on Brendan by saying you have got to make the Champions League this year," said Henry.



"Of course he wants to make the Champions League, we all do and so does every team in the Premier League.



"I thought it was realistic last season but we were so far off that pace.

"At this point we're just trying to get things stabilised - that should be one of our goals."



Rodgers is slowly altering the Liverpool squad to fit his style of play, with Swansea's Joe Allen expected to join him at Anfield as his second summer signing after the arrival of Fabio Borini while Clint Dempsey also remains a target.



Punters looking to use their free bet might fancy backing Rodgers's revoultion to secure at least a top six finish in the Premier League this season.

Rodgers rules out Bellamy exit

Brendan Rodgers has dismissed reports that Craig Bellamy could leave Liverpool this summer, by insisting that the Welshman is part of his plans.



The new Reds boss has spoken on the future of the Wales international, who has been linked with a move away from Anfield during the current transfer window. with a return to his hometown club Cardiff mooted.



However, Rodgers, who arrived from Swansea as Kenny Dalglish's successor earlier in the summer, insists that Bellamy's heart is still on Merseyside and he has no intentions of allowing the player to leave the club without a fight.



"I had a really positive chat with Craig on Monday," Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo.



"It was good to meet him and get his side of the Liverpool story. He's a big supporter of this club - he loves the club. He's a good guy.



"He has a real passion for Liverpool Football Club and that's the type of people I want here.



"I like his intensity, his work-rate and his passion so I would love him to be here.



"It would take a really special and unique opportunity for Craig to walk out of Liverpool and for us to go our separate ways.



"If anything changes on that from a personal perspective then him and I will talk about that."

Success comes first for Rodgers

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers earned numerous plaudits for his attractive style of football at former club Swansea, but he insists the most important attribute to have is success.



The Northern Irishman masterminded victories over the likes of champions Manchester City, Arsenal, as well as his current club on the final day of the domestic season. He is expected to reproduce that on a much bigger scale at Anfield but stressed that for all the style it was substance which mattered.



"The way I want to play here is the Liverpool way," he said.



"The history and tradition of this club has been about offensive football, attacking football - but always with discipline. The game will be based around what Liverpool are about, which is control, dominating games with the ball, working very hard when you haven't got the ball and keeping the game as simple as possible.



"Of course I'll bring in a certain philosophy which I'm attached to but the principles of your game are based around the players.



"For me the best thing about the game other than scoring goals is having the football, and that'll be the idea and the fundamentals we'll work on - but they are playing ultimately to win. We're in the business of winning and hopefully we can entertain along the way."



The 39-year-old said he was not trying to emulate Barcelona, whom his Swansea side were likened to in terms of approach, but develop his own approach.



"I suppose the tiki-taka football has come from Barcelona and that Spanish version," he added on liverpoolfc.com.



"It probably came up with the players at Swansea, who referred to it a lot in our training and our work on having the ball and resting on the ball.



"It doesn't matter if it's tiki-taka football or possession football - the supporters and all of us want winning football. That's what the philosophy will be about. It will be about playing attractive, attacking football full of imagination."

Reds close in on deal for Gylfi Sigurdsson

Liverpool have opened talks with Hoffenheim over a move for Gylfi Sigurdsson and a deal could be completed early next week.



Brendan Rodgers is keen to bring the midfielder to Anfield after the pair combined well during Sigurdsson's loan spell at Swansea last season.



The 22-year-old has privately expressed his desire to join Rodgers at Anfield, rather than join Swansea permanently.



Liverpool will pay in excess of the £6.8m fee Swansea agreed last month.



Sigurdsson had been on the brink of agreeing a permanent move to the South Wales club when Rodgers left for Anfield last month.



But despite having agreed terms with Swansea, Rodgers's departure prompted an immediate change of heart from Sigurdsson with the influence of his manager a key reason for his original decision.



The new Liverpool manager has made no secret of his desire to link-up with his former player, whom he also worked with in his brief spell at Reading in 2009."If he comes into the market for whatever reason - and I'm sure there'll be a number of clubs interested in Gylfi - then of course I would like to be in a position to put our case here at Liverpool to sign him," Rodgers said earlier this week."But I've always said I think he's a player Swansea have had an agreement with and they have to have every chance to try to sign him. That's only right. If anything changes from that, we'll look at it from there."



The personal wishes of Sigurdsson have, however, brought an end to Swansea's hopes of signing the player, leaving the way clear for Liverpool to make their first signing of a new era.



More are likely to follow. "I think there are a few players who can come in and improve the group straight away," Rodgers added. "I know the types of player I need to bring here to make us function well and that's something myself, the club and the board will look at.



"I know what we've got, more or less, in the squad, but I also know there are a couple of signings that could really improve what we do."

Liverpool Boss Brendan Rodgers Reiterates Gylfi Sigurdsson Desire

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has reiterated that he will be interested in signing Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson if his former club Swansea cannot close a deal.



Sigurdsson was on loan with Swansea last season from German outfit Hoffenheim and the Welsh side are in pole position to snap up the 22-year-old, who turned in a number of impressive performances under Rodgers when he joined the club in January.



Rodgers has since left Swansea for Anfield, and has taken his appreciation of Sigurdsson with him, though he accepts his former team must have first crack at taking the Iceland star on a permanent basis.



If that does not happen though, Rodgers is more than ready to pounce.



"I took him on loan for the second half of last season and he did very, very well. He scored seven goals and made a real, positive contribution", Rodgers told Liverpool’s official site.



"I wanted to sign him for Swansea but, like I’ve said to him and his representatives, that has to be his first port of call.



"If he comes into the market for whatever reason – and I’m sure there’ll be a number of clubs interested in Gylfi – then of course I would like to be in a position to put our case here at Liverpool to sign him.



"But I’ve always said, I think he’s a player Swansea have had an agreement with and they have to have every chance to try and sign him. That’s only right."



While all eyes are on Euro 2012, Rodgers is quietly going about his business with Liverpool and drawing up his list of summer transfer targets.



Estimates of how much the Northern Irishman has been handed to spend by the club’s owners vary, but it is thought to be a figure north of £30M, with any proceeds from player sales being added on top of that.

Kalou would consider Reds

Salomon Kalou would be willing to consider a summer move to Liverpool, according to the forward’s agent.



But new Reds boss Brendan Rodgers – who worked with the Ivorian whilst a coach at Chelsea – is yet to make any formal move for the striker, who is out of contract at Stamford Bridge.



Kalou’s Chelsea deal expired last month, bringing to an end his six-year spell in west London.



He has since been linked with a host of clubs, with Liverpool, Newcastle United and German side Schalke 04 among those credited with an interest in the 26-year-old.



Liverpool have so far kept their summer transfer targets close to their chest, as Rodgers settles into his new role after replacing Kenny Dalglish earlier this month.



They were unwilling to comment on a potential move for Kalou.



But the player’s agent, Rodger Linse, confirmed to the ECHO that a switch to Anfield would be an appealing prospect to the former Feyenoord man, though was keen to stress that there was “nothing concrete” to report at this stage.



Linse said: “There are conversations going on, and of course when that is happening then you must be careful what you say.



“Liverpool can speak for themselves, and Schalke can speak for themselves. That is fine.



“Of course Liverpool is a very big club, in terms of support and in terms of history.



“It is definitely positive to hear that a big club like them are showing an interest in Salomon, though it is too early to say anything definitive at this stage.”



Kalou, who can play anywhere across the forward line, made a total of 244 appearances during his six years at Chelsea, scoring 60 goals despite rarely being a first-team regular.



He did, however, start in both the FA Cup final success over Liverpool, and the Champions League final win against Bayern Munich at the back end of last season, though the Londoners opted not to offer him a new deal in the aftermath.



Huub Stevens, the Schalke manager, had claimed earlier this week that Kalou was eager to leave England, and that the Bundesliga may be an attractive proposition. Linse, though, insists that his client would have no problem remaining in the Premier League if the right offer came along.



“He has been very happy at Chelsea,” he added.



“He is a player with ambition, and he has managed to satisfy a lot of those ambitions over the last few years.



“He never quite made it to be a guaranteed starter with Chelsea, but his statistics were always good, and he won lots of trophies there.



“In many ways it will be difficult to find a better place to be, but he is open-minded, and would be happy to continue in England if the right club comes in.”

Fulham ace linked with Reds

New boss Brendan Rodgers is looking to bring Fulham striker Clint Dempsey to Anfield as he starts to shape his own squad.



Rodgers is looking to stamp his own authority on the club and Demspey is just one of many targets he hopes to sign before the start of the season.



Dempsey has just one year remaining on his current deal and the Cottagers could well be tempted to cash in on the USA international rather than see him leave as a free agent in 2013.



The 29-year-old enjoyed a hugely successful campaign in the Premier League last season with 23 goals and his performances have not gone unnoticed, Arsenal have also been linked with a move.



Dempsey admits he is keen to test himself in the Champions League, but he is also happy where he is and may not move on.



"The transfer window is open until August 31," Dempsey told London24. "It's no secret that I would like to play Champions League one day in my career.

"It it's meant to be, it will be."

Liverpool edge closer to appointing Rodgers

Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers appears to be edging closer to filling Liverpool's managerial vacancy but reports he has agreed a three-year deal have been dismissed as premature.



The 39-year-old emerged on Tuesday as Fenway Sports Group's first choice to succeed Kenny Dalglish, having moved ahead of Wigan boss Roberto Martinez.



A report on the BBC website late this afternoon said that a three-year deal had been agreed but sources at Liverpool told Press Association Sport this was "categorically untrue".



It seems inevitable, however, that the Northern Irishman will be installed at Anfield and most likely before the weekend.



The Reds will have to pay somewhere in the region of between £4million to £5million in compensation as part of the new contract Rodgers signed at the Liberty Stadium in February.



Rodgers has won many plaudits for the way Swansea played on their return to the top flight, and while his initial link to Liverpool left fans unimpressed they appeared to have warmed to the idea in the last couple of days.



Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler believes Rodgers deserves his chance but has warned next season may be another testing one for the Anfield faithful.



"For what Brendan Rodgers has achieved at Swansea, he deserves huge respect," Fowler told paddypower.com.



"He's worked under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea so he knows the score and he's worked with top players.



"It'd be a massive step-up for Rodgers to manage Liverpool, if he gets the job, as expected now.



"The new manager will need to bring in new players again to take Liverpool from a top-eight club to a top-four club.



"That's going to be really difficult. It's a massive challenge.



"Because the top four are going to bring in new players too and that gulf increases again.



"I have to say it, right now the 2012/2013 season looks like it's going to be another difficult one for Liverpool fans."



Fowler felt former manager Rafael Benitez would have been the sensible option, even though FSG discounted him very early on in the process, but had concerns over long-time front-runner Wigan boss Roberto Martinez.



"Sacking Kenny certainly wasn't everyone's cup of tea. Certainly not mine," Fowler added.



"But football is big business. John Henry (Liverpool's principal owner) and the Fenway Sports Group have put a lot of cash into Liverpool so they can do what they want, really.



"I like stability at a club. You can't just keep getting rid of players or managers.



"How long has Alex Ferguson been at Old Trafford? Nobody gets that chance now.



"My old boss, Rafa Benitez, who was an early contender to go back to Anfield, would have learned from his mistakes and could have done a job there again.



"That said, I know people who have worked with Roberto Martinez and rate him highly. He's done a fantastic job at Wigan.



"But that in itself worried me. Liverpool is a big club with big standards. Wigan is a little club.



"What worried me is that, sure, Martinez brought Wigan on a run at the end of the season and they avoided relegation but what about the 30 games before that?"



Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina admitted he would have liked to have seen Benitez return.



"For many of my colleagues and me, Rafa Benitez would be the ideal candidate," he told Radio Marca.



"It is true I'm not objective, it is the coach who most shaped me ... [he] is the best."