The Reds baulked at the £20 million fee quoted by Swansea for their Cote d’Ivoire international striker and instead decided to turn their attentions to the Southampton star

EXCLUSIVE
By Paul Clennam

Liverpool’s surprise move for Southampton striker Rickie Lambert was prompted after Swansea City demanded £20 million for Wilfried Bony.

The Reds had initially lined up the former Vitesse forward as one of their primary summer transfer targets after the 25-year-old’s impressive first season in England.

Bony had initially been used sparingly by former Swans boss Michael Laudrup as he adapted to the rigours of the Premier League but seven goals in nine games saw him finish the season as one of the division’s most potent attacking talents.

His impressive form during the second half of the campaign duly attracted the interest of Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, who is keen to provide competition for lethal duo Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.

But after discovering Swansea were looking for a fee of £20m, a £6m increase on what the Welsh club paid to bring him to the Premier League under a year ago, the Reds decided to turn their attentions elsewhere and specifically to Southampton striker Lambert.

As reported by Goal, the Anfield club have now tabled a bid that could rise to £9m for the England striker, who is currently with the rest of the Three Lions squad ahead of Friday’s World Cup warm-up meeting with Peru at Wembley.

Rodgers will be keen to tie up a deal for the former Bristol Rovers man, a lifelong Liverpool fan, before the start of the tournament in Brazil to allow him the opportunity to focus on deals for other targets, including Lambert’s Saints team-mate Adam Lallana.

The 26-year-old, another of the Southampton contingent in Roy Hodgson’s 23-man World Cup squad, has been a revelation in the Premier League this past season and Goal understands the south-coast club will demand £30m for their captain and prized asset.

Goal understands the Reds have launched a bid that could rise to £9 million as Brendan Rodgers looks to add to his attacking options ahead of the new campaign

Liverpool are closing in on a deal for Southampton striker Rickie Lambert, Goal understands.

The Reds have made an offer for the England international that could rise to £9 million as Brendan Rodgers looks to supplement his first-choice attacking line of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge with proven Premier League quality.

Lambert’s record of 13 goals in 37 games in England’s top flight last season saw him finish above the likes of Robin van Persie and Alvaro Negredo in the scoring charts and just four behind Manchester United star Wayne Rooney.

Rodgers has been keen to bolster his attacking options to ease the goalscoring burden on Suarez and Sturridge, who scored 52 Premier League goals between them last season, with the Reds’ other recognised striker Iago Aspas having struggled to make an impact at Anfield.

Lambert’s strength and ability in the air will provide a different option for Rodgers, with the Southampton forward likely to be given plenty of first-team action as Liverpool look to cope with the demands of juggling Champions League football.

A move to the Merseyside club, whom he has supported since he was a boy, would represent the latest chapter in a remarkable 12 months for the Saints star.

The former Bristol Rovers striker, who has played in all four divisions in England, scored on his international debut against Scotland back in August and his performances for Southampton over the season have seen him earn a place in Roy Hodgson’s World Cup squad.

And, with Lambert turning 33 in February, Southampton are unlikely to stand in the way of a dream move to Anfield, with a fee that could rise to £9m representing a significant investment on the figure in the region of £1m they paid to sign him back in 2009.

The Liverpool keeper says his country are looking no further than qualifying for the second round of this summer’s tournament, despite being tipped as potential winners

Belgium goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has played down his side’s chances of winning the World Cup, claiming his team-mates are focused purely on advancing from Group H.

Marc Wilmot’s men have been drawn alongside Russia, South Korea and Algeria and have been tipped as potential winners of the competition following the emergence of a star-studded squad.

The likes of captain Vincent Kompany and forwards Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku form the spine of the side, but Mignolet, who is set to be understudy to Thibaut Courtois, told FIFA.com he is remaining cautious.

“The first objective was to qualify,” the 26-year-old, who has earned 15 international caps since making his debut against Austria in 2011, told reporters.

“It’s been a long time since that happened and we’re delighted to be making the trip to Brazil.

“Our next goal is to make the second round. After that, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Mignolet, who narrowly missed out on the Premier League title with Liverpool this season, added: “On a personal note, it’s a childhood dream come true to be taking part in an event like this.”

Belgium continue preparations for the World Cup with friendlies against Sweden and Tunisia before facing Algeria in their opening group game on June 17.