Liverpool have stepped up their interest in young Danish star Christian Eriksen, following final checks during the international break.
Reds boss Brendan Rodgers has been impressed with scouting reports about the Ajax playmaker and, after watching him play for his country against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria over the past week, the Anfield club are ready to take the plunge with a firm offer.
After refusing the Dutch giants' offer of a new contract, 21-year-old Eriksen will be made available for transfer in the summer as he will be entering the final year of his current deal.
The midfielder's profile suits Liverpool's blueprint for new players so perfectly, they are ready to go head to head with the likes of Inter Milan, Tottenham and perhaps Chelsea - who have been linked with Eriksen recently - for his services.
Rodgers knows there will be competition for a player who already has 34 Denmark caps, but he believes he has two trump-cards he can play.
Not only is Liverpool centre-half Daniel Agger the midfielder's captain at international level, but Eriksen also played alongside Luis Suarez when he first broke into the Ajax first-team in 2010.
The player is also known to have an affinity for the Reds and has hinted strongly in recent weeks that he will leave Holland at the end of the season, with a switch to the Premier League his most likely option.
"I don't know if I will be an Ajax player after the summer - we will see what happens. I don't exclude anything," he said.
"I haven't received a detailed offer of a contract extension yet, but my agent has had talks with the club regarding that matter."
Liverpool were busy during the international break, with Eriksen one of several summer targets to be scouted while playing for their country.
Rodgers is determined to add a creative midfielder in the close-season, and he has identified several targets, to try to ensure he doesn't miss out if his first choice is tempted away elsewhere.
The Anfield boss is also highly impressed by Armenia attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and sent Anfield's head of analytics Michael Edwards - one of the key men in Liverpool's recruitment team - to Yereven to watch the 24-year-old play for his country against Czech Republic.
Edwards was joined by Barry Hunter, Liverpool's overseas scout.
Even though Armenia were beaten 3-0, the pair were impressed by Mkhitaryan, who took man of the match honours in a losing cause.
The sticking point with the 24-year-old has always been the fee - Shaktar Donetsk want £23million for a player they are convinced will become one of the top stars in Europe.
Again, Mkhitaryan has aroused interest from other Premier League clubs as well as Italy, but Rodgers will continue to monitor the situation to see if he can negotiate a price that fits into his budget.
Newcastle midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa and Brazilian defender Dede are also on Liverpool's radar.
Source: Daily Mirror
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