After capturing Joe Allen from Swansea, Brendan Rodgers is preparing another raid on his former club by making a move for the Welsh club's skipper Ashley Williams.
Rumors were swirling Thursday of Williams being of interest to several big English Premier League clubs including Arsenal and Tottenham, but Liverpool are thought to be the frontrunners, owing to Rodgers' familiarity with the player and the club.
While the Liverpool owners have given the manager a strict order in not to bring in players above 25, it now seems Rodgers has been given the go-ahead from FSG to make a move for the 28-year-old defender Williams, according to the Daily Mirror.
The Swansea skipper was one of the standout performers for his side against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup semifinal and will be the first captain to lead out the Welsh side to a major Cup final against Bradford at Wembley next month.
Williams has also shown outstanding form in the Premier League, and the fact that he brings intangibles like leadership qualities to the side has further enhanced Rodgers' desire to bring in the Welsh international.
Liverpool are ready to go as high as £10 million ($16 million) for Williams, who only recently signed a new contract. However, the prospect of working under his former manager, coupled with the fact that he will be joining a storied club in Liverpool might just tempt the defender to agree to a move at the end of the season.
While the North London duo are also keeping tabs on developments, it is understood Williams would prefer a move to Anfield, although Swansea will try their utmost to keep their player at the Liberty Stadium for as long as possible.
Meanwhile, the Reds are being linked with another central defender in Federico Fazio of Sevilla. The Argentine international is expected to leave the Spanish club in the January window, but despite interest from Hoffenheim and Zenit St Petersburg, a move has not yet materialized.
Fazio's agent Alvaro Torres said his player would leave Sevilla only if an interesting offer was put on the table for the player rated at £5 million ($8 million).
"Hoffenheim made an offer, but at the moment it is not something that is acceptable to Sevilla or the player," Torres told ESPN.
"Neither Zenit nor any other Russian club has made a formal offer, although it is true that some clubs have sounded out the possibility.
"No player leaves a club to go somewhere he does not want. The offer must interest both Sevilla and the player."
