EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool will sign James Milner and eye Man City teammate Stevan Jovetic
LIVERPOOL are convinced they have won the race to sign James Milner and are already planning more signings this summer.
By
Steve Morgan and Steve Millar / Published 25th April 2015
Arsenal and Roma are also in the race to sign the Manchester
City star, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
But an Anfield source described it as a "done deal" that Milner will choose the Reds instead.
The 29-year-old has been promised that he will get the chance to play in his preferred
midfield role at Liverpool and that appears to have swayed him.
City boss Manuel Pellegrini has repeatedly stated he expects Milner to sign a new contract at the Etihad.
But Liverpool officials are confident he has decided to turn his back on City and look for a new start on Merseyside.
Liverpool first tried to sign Milner from Aston Villa in 2010 but he snubbed them to join City in a £26m transfer.
Milner has won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup at City but is unhappy with his role in the
team.
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KOP DEAL: Milner looks certain to join Liverpool [GETTY]
“We need to bring in a few players to improve the starting eleven but it certainly won't be as many as last summer. It will be more settled”
Brendan Rodgers
He has often been overlooked in big games and has rarely been used in his favoured position of central midfield.
Liverpool could offer him the chance to partner Jordan Henderson, who has just signed a new deal, in exactly that position following Steven Gerrard's decision to quit the club.
Brendan Rodgers has also earmarked Stevan Jovetic as his No.1 striker target but insists he
won't spend, spend, spend in a bid to capture Champions League football next season.
There will be no repeat of last summer when the Liverpool boss went cash crazy, splashing £116 million on nine new signings.
Rodgers has identified just three positions he needs to address - goalkeeper, a central midfielder and a
striker with Manchester City hit-man Jovetic a £16 million target.
The Kop chief tried to sign Jovetic before he joined City almost two years ago and was hugely impressed how the Montenegro international handled himself when preliminary moves were made.
Rodgers has never lost interest and with Jovetic failing to establish himself under Etihad boss Manuel Pellegrini the time would now be right to bring the proven striker to Anfield.
It's been reported that PSV Eindhoven goal-getter Memphis Depay flew to Liverpool last week for secret talks but either Manchester United or City will be his next destination.
Rodgers insists that Liverpool demand quality and not quantity for next season with captain marvel Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Brad Jones leading the list of players heading for the exit.
Iago Aspas, Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini, Rickie Lambert, Sebastian Coates and Luis Alberto are expected to follow.
But Rodgers is keeping a tight grip on the
purse strings to find his limited replacements.
Rodgers said: "The likes of Stevie are moving on and that's something we have to deal with. But I think the nucleus of the squad will hopefully be the same next season.
"We need to bring in a few players to improve the starting eleven but it certainly won't be as many as last summer. It will be more settled.
"We have to look to improve the team and that's going to be critical for us."
Liverpool need a new striker, says boss Brendan Rodgers after West Brom draw
Last Updated: 25/04/15 11:35pm
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<img src="
http://cf.c.ooyala.com/BkdDhxdDonsD-F5xtKq4bjhDfQV2Lk71/AZ2ZgMjz0LFGHCPn4xMDoxOjBzMTt2bJ" class="auto-size__target widge-figure__image" alt="Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says he was very proud of his players following their 0-0 draw with West Brom and thinks they controlled most of the game">
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says he was very proud of his players following their 0-0 draw with West Brom and thinks they controlled most of the game
Brendan Rodgers says Liverpool must sign a new striker in the summer after their goalless draw against West Brom.
His side were held to a goalless draw by Tony Pulis’ Baggies on Saturday and Manchester City’s subsequent 3-2 success at home to Aston Villa has left Liverpool seven points adrift of the top four in fifth.
With Daniel Sturridge injured, Mario Balotelli started up front for the first time since November but failed to hit the target in 75 minutes before being substituted for Fabio Borini.
Hull v Liverpool
Liverpool 10/11
Draw 5/2
Hull 3/1
Following 31-goal Luis Suarez’s departure to Barcelona last summer, none of Liverpool’s strikers have got into double figures this term.
“We will look at it in the summer and it's somewhere we will have to do some work on,” said Rodgers.
“I give credit to the players because they came out after a difficult result and performance last week [a 2-1 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Aston Villa] and showed great confidence.
"They defended well and attacked with all the invention and creativity as we possibly could.
"We just don't score as many goals, it's as simple as that. The players have given the same effort and attitude but we had two players last year [Luis Suarez and Sturridge] who played in the front three who got 50 plus goals and we don't have it now."
Rodgers also believes his team must win their last five games to reach the Champions League.
Fourth-placed Manchester United and third-placed Arsenal have the opportunity to extend their advantage over Liverpool on Sunday and Rodgers says the Reds can’t afford to drop any more points.
“It'll be very difficult. I felt of the six games we certainly needed to win five at least so now we have five to go and we'll have to look to win them to give ourselves a chance,” he said.
“You never know what happens above you, that's the thing with football, but what you have to do is make sure you keep the pressure on.
"This is a difficult place to come, Tony's teams are strong, we have got a point and now we look to our game in hand in the week (against Hull) and look to get three points there."