Liverpool suffered a major blow at the weekend, losing to bitter rivals Manchester United and dropping five points outside of the top four in the process.
The red card given to Steven Gerrard 38 seconds after coming on as a half time substitute compounded what was a miserable afternoon for Brendan Rodgers side, who prior to the game were the only unbeaten side in the Premier League in 2015.
The Reds had been on a superb run of 13 matches unbeaten, and looked a decent bet to finish in those Champions League places following a dismal start to the season.
Brendan Rodgers and his side now face an uphill battle, knowing defeat in their next game against Arsenal at the Emirates could see the gap widened to eight points.
Success in the FA Cup is still a possibility, but Rodgers will certainly look to add to a squad in the summer that suffered massively during the first half of the season – particularly in the absence of Daniel Sturridge.
Manchester United flop Radamel Falcao is a top target according to widespread reports, and here we have identified another five players who could follow the Colombian to Anfield in the summer.
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Click on Brendan Rodgers to reveal 5 players to follow Falcao to Liverpool next summer
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Kyriakos Papadopoulos
The Reds have spent more than £50million on new centre backs in the last two years, yet reports suggest they are set to enter the market for yet another one at the end of the season.
Greek international Kyriakos Papdaopoulos was a Liverpool target in the summer of 2013, but concerns over his fitness meant the deal did not go ahead.
The Reds have since signed Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren, but with the latter proving a major disappointment during his first season at Anfield, Brendan Rodgers is set to raid Schalke for the highly rated Papadopoulos now he has returned to full fitness after a serious ligament injury.
Theo Walcott
Concerns remain at Anfield over the future of Raheem Sterling, with the 20-year-old having postponed talks over a new contract until the end of the season.
The Reds have identified Theo Walcott of Arsenal as a transfer target, either as a replacement for Sterling or as a reinforcement to the squad alongisde the England international.
Walcott is set to enter the final 12 months of his contract at the Emirates, and the 26-year-old is no longer guaranteed first team football under Arsene Wenger – meaning he could well be open to a move.
Luciano Vietto
The Reds have been tracking the 21-year-old striker dubbed the ‘new Sergio Aguero’ for two years now.
Vietto has been superb in La Liga for Villarreal this season, scoring 18 goals in just 24 appearances – the sort of record the likes of Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini could only dream about.
Brendan Rodgers will be on the lookout for at least two new strikers to support Daniel Sturridge next season, with Falcao and Vietto understood to be his prime targets.
Daryl Janmaat
Glen Johnson looks as though he will be bringing his six year Anfield career to a close when his contract expires in the summer, meaning Brendan Rodgers will be in the market for a new right back.
Summer signing Javier Manquillo has struggled to make an impact, whilst Jon Flanagan has not kicked a ball all season due to injury.
Newcastle’s Dutch full back Daryl Janmaat has been perhaps their best player this season, and with Mike Ashley having done very little to keep the best players at the club in recent seasons, this is a realistic option for Liverpool when looking to replace Johnson.
William Carvalho
With Steven Gerrard set to end his 16 year Liverpool career at the end of the season, Brendan Rodgers will be on the hunt for a powerful midfielder to fill the huge void the 34-year-old will leave.
22-year-old William Carvalho is one of the most highly rated young players in Europe, having starred for Sporting Lisbon and the national team over the past couple of seasons.
Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea have all been linked with the £30million star, but Liverpool would offer him the best chance of regular first team football next season, whilst Brendan Rodgers impressive record of developing young players may also play a part in his decision.
