Brendan Rodgers identified the Colombia international as a potential replacement for Luis Suarez last summer and is keen to bolster his attacking options

EXCLUSIVE
By Romeo Agresti

Liverpool are keeping tabs on long-term transfer target Luis Muriel and have sent scouts to watch the Udinese striker twice in recent weeks.

The Anfield club had identified the Colombia international as a potential replacement for Luis Suarez last summer, who was the subject of two failed bids from Arsenal.

Liverpool rejected Suarez’s transfer request and the Uruguayan has subsequently formed a devastating partnership with Daniel Sturridge that has fired Brendan Rodgers’ side into Premier League title-winning contention.

Suarez appears happy at Anfield and recently signed a new contract – though it contains a buyout clause, which can be triggered by a foreign club willing to pay between €72-85 million.

Regardless of the 27-year-old’s future, however, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is keen to add to his forward options – as evidenced by recent failed pursuits of the likes of Willian and Yevhen Konoplyanka – and is weighing up a summer offer.

Muriel, 22, has struggled to recapture the form that alerted Liverpool to his potential last season and has scored just three times in 14 appearances for a side that is entrenched in mid-table in Serie A.

Liverpool could face competition for Muriel who attracted interest from Wolfsburg in the January transfer window, while Juventus are also understood to be monitoring the forward’s situation.

Aside from Suarez and Sturridge, Liverpool’s forward options are severely limited with Iago Aspas – who has found it tough to acclimatise since his summer move from Celta Vigo – the only other recognised senior striker on the club’s books.

The Reds full-back insists Champions League qualification is the priority but believes they have a chance of winning the Premier League if they can keep in touch with the leaders

Liverpool defender Jon Flanagan believes his side can still challenge for the Premier League title come the end of the season.

The Reds are currently fourth in the league, just four points behind leaders Chelsea and haven’t lost in the last six league games.
 
Flanagan, who is also from Liverpool, has appeared in 11 league games this season, netting once, and admits the hurt of his side not winning a league title in 20 years is driving him on.
 
“We’ve given ourselves a great platform to work off now,” he told Sky Sports News.

“For a local lad, not having a Premiership title for 18-20 years, it’s in my mind every day. We’re in that position now and it is doable with the games that they’ve got as well.

“All the lads are just looking for the top four and if we’re in and around there with five games to go, maybe.”

But the 21-year-old concedes top spot is not the main target this season, as the Anfield outfit’s primary focus is a place in the top four and next year’s Champions League.

“We’re just concentrating on trying to get top four, so anything above that would be great for us,” he added.

“No-one’s expecting us to go and win that title, so the pressure is less on us than the other big teams around us.”

The story behind the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ in 2005 features in the latest of our series chronicling the extraordinary power of belief

Surely, Liverpool had no chance of winning the 2005 Champions League final. Rafael Benitez’s side had won just two of their last seven Premier League games and finished fifth in the table. In contrast, opponents AC Milan had finished an unlucky second in Serie A behind a Juventus side with seven of their 2003 Champions League-winning side still in place. Oh, and Liverpool had Djimi Traore in defence, a player who according to Liverpool’s own fans “just couldn’t control his feet”.

Rafa Benitez, a stickler for the smallest details, took no chances when it came to lucky omens. For starters the Spaniard wore his favourite Tasmanian Devil underpants, bought for him by daughter Claudia, which he’d worn at pivotal moments of Valencia’s league and Uefa Cup campaigns. He also had his lucky Mont Blanc pen which he’d insisted on carrying in his hand luggage on previous flights (to guard against it getting lost in transit). But best of all, Rafa played a little mind game with himself as he waited for one of the hotel’s four lifts as his team prepared to leave for the match.

‘Keep the faith’ | Benitez relays the secret to victory

If elevator one arrived first, Liverpool would lose. Lift two, however, would assure victory, although its neighbour designated a draw after full-time followed by a loss on penalties (obviously). A ping from lift four meant a draw followed by a win on penalties. To Rafa’s immense relief, elevator four landed. The rest is history.

‘Join the conversation about unbelievable stories of believing at #startbelieving and for PUMA evoPOWER products visit:http://shop-eu.puma.com/gw/category?cgid=53300