Liverpool have told Southampton and Adam Lallana that they need a response soon on a potential transfer or they will instead move to sign 20 year-old wonderkid.
Liverpool have been locked in negotiations with Southampton for the acquisition of Adam Lallana ever since the end of the season, but have been unable to make a breakthrough.
The Saints have been reluctant to let their captain leave and have been playing hardball with Liverpool over the transfer fee for quite some time.
It now appears that Brendan Rodgers is close to admitting defeat, and is on the verge of calling off negotiations in order to turn his interest towards Benfica winger, Lazar Markovic.
Markovic was the original transfer target for Rodgers for the left wing position but the £30m price tag set by Benfica cooled their interest.
Reports in the Daily Mirror suggest that the Portuguese club have relaxed their claim and will settle for somewhere around £25m – a lower figure than the fee Southampton now want for Lallana.
A deal for Markovic could well still be a smart move since the Serbian winger’s quality is comparable to Lallana’s, and at 20 years of age, he would be a much younger signing with considerable potential.
Liverpool remain interested in Lallana, but want an immediate answer from both him and Southampton quickly – with the clear message that they will move on to other targets such as Markovic if they do not receive a positive response.
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