Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is set to reignite his pursuit of Inter Milan star Mateo Kovacic.According to Gazetta dello Sport, via theTelegraph, "having already had some interest in bringing Kovacic to Anfield, bidding 17.7 million in an attempt to sign him, Brendan Rodgers is keen to go back in for the midfield man he wants," but "will have to offer a staggering 21.3 million."The Reds have bought well this summer but are yet to adequately replace Steven Gerrard in midfield after the talismanic star left for LA Galaxy.The underrated James Milner is an excellent addition in central midfield, but he's not the man to fill Gerrard's considerable boots.While Kovacic may not yet be able to either, he certainly has the potential to.The 21-year-old has been one of the few highlights for Inter in recent years and enjoyed an excellent season last year, netting eight times and contributing five assists in all competitions.WhoScored.com share some of his other key statistics:Serie A expert James Horncastle believes Kovacic to be an excellent prospect, while beIN Sports' Matteo Bonetti believes he is underused at Inter:The central midfielder used his excellent distribution and vision to create 62 chances for his team-mates last season according to Squawka.Squawka also demonstrate how Kovacic made dangerous forward runs thanks to his phenomenal dribbling skills, as he completed 90 take-onsthe fourth highest total in Serie A and with a better success rate than those above him.At such a young age the Croatian is already close to being the full package in midfield and has the potential to enjoy a similarly distinguished career as Gerrard's.However, like the 35-year-old, Kovacic appears to want to spend the bulk of his career with one club, per James Horncastle:With that being the case, it seems unlikely the Reds will be able to land the young star this summer, even if they're willing to splash the cash and can negotiate a price with Inter.Liverpool Target Denis CheryshevAccording to Metro's Louis Sealey, who cites "reports in Spain," "Liverpool are in talks with Real Madrid to complete the transfer of Denis Cheryshev after Brendan Rodgers demanded his club to sign the winger."On loan at Villarreal, the Russian scored seven goals and registered 10 assists in all competitions last season.Here are some of the 24-year-old's highlights from a successful spell at El Madrigal:WhoScored.com provide a rundown of the winger's impressive array of strengths:Liverpool would benefit from the presence of another wideman after selling Raheem Sterling to Manchester City.Cheryshev is unlikely to have many chances to shine at the Bernabeu next season as he competes with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.Therefore, Liverpool represent an excellent opportunity for him to jump-start his senior career by establishing a starting berth, and Anfield would likely be a tempting option.Having missed out on Barcelona youngster Adama Traore, the Reds should go all out to secure the Russian's services.If they do, they will have filled the gap left by Sterling with a hard-working player of genuine quality.Read more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
Click here to read full news..
