http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-fc-set-swoop-25m-7339815Liverpool FC will launch a £25million swoop for Benfica winger Lazar Markovic after wrapping up a deal for Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana.
England international Lallana arrived at Melwood to undergo a medical and sort out personal terms on Friday after the clubs agreed a fee of £23million plus add-ons.
The 26-year-old is set to pen a four-year contract and the formalities should be completed over the weekend with an official announcement due on Monday.
Lallana will become Liverpool’s third summer signing following the £4million deal for fellow Saints star Rickie Lambert and the £10million purchase of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Emre Can.
Brendan Rodgers is eyeing more attacking reinforcements with the manager now set to turn his attentions to highly-rated Serbian youngster Markovic.
The 20-year-old was heavily scouted by Liverpool last season and had been lined up initially as a possible alternative to Lallana if an agreement couldn’t be reached with Southampton.
However, despite landing Lallana, the Reds are set to press on and open talks with Benfica.
Liverpool haven’t been put off by the £25million price tag and are confident of making another statement of intent ahead of the new campaign.
Markovic, who is understood to be keen on making the switch to Anfield, joined Benfica from Partizan Belgrade last summer and helped them clinch the Portuguese title.
The pursuit of Markovic means that the Reds are unlikely to follow up their interest in Bayern Munich’s Xherdan Shaqiri, who caught the eye with a hat-trick for Switzerland against Honduras at the World Cup earlier this week.
Liverpool also look set to beat off competition from Tottenham for Lille’s teenage Belgium international striker Divock Origi.
However, if the Reds do secure the 19-year-old’s services they will loan him back to Lille for the 2014/15 season.
Southampton’s Dejan Lovren and Sevilla’s Albert Moreno remain the club’s top defensive targets but neither of those deals are close to completion.
Talks over Moreno have stalled with the La Liga outfit refusing to budge on their £20million valuation.
Lallana had been earmarked by Rodgers as one of his key summer signings and Liverpool finally secured a breakthrough in their negotiations with Southampton after having two bids rejected prior to the World Cup finals.
On his return from England’s dismal campaign in Brazil, the 26-year-old informed new Saints boss Ronald Koeman that his heart was set on moving to Anfield and the South Coast outfit reluctantly granted their skipper his wish.
Southampton will have to hand over 25% of the fee to Championship club Bournemouth, who had a sell-on clause.
It means Lallana, who scored 10 goals in 42 appearances last season, will be quickly reunited with former Saints team-mate Lambert.
St Albans-born Lallana started out at Bournemouth's Centre of Excellent before being snapped up by Southampton at the age of 12. He made his first-team debut in August 2006 and had a spell on loan at Bournemouth in 2007/08 before establishing himself as a Saints regular the following campaign.
Lallana helped Southampton claim back to back promotions as he was named in the League One team of the year in 2010/11 and the Championship team of the year in 2011/12. He scored 13 goals as they booked their passage to the Premier League.
His outstanding form in the top flight last term saw him voted Southampton's Player of the Year, he was also shortlisted for the PFA Player of the Year award and named in the PFA Team of the Year.
Lallana earned a first England cap against Chile last November and went on to feature in all three of the nation’s group matches at the World Cup.
Liverpool remain tight-lipped over the future of Luis Suarez as they await the outcome of his appeal following his record four-month ban from FIFA.
Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique has made it clear that the Catalan outfit haven’t been put off by the Uruguayan’s bite on Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini and they still intend to pursue his signature this summer.
However, the Reds are in no rush to sell and have no intention of letting Suarez go for a knockdown price.
Liverpool have already registered their interest with Barcelona in exciting Chile international Alexis Sanchez, although they know they have serious competition from Juventus among others
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