£16 million man: "Manchester United is the club of my dreams"

Despite being an apparent £16 million target for Liverpool, 20 year-old defensive midfielder Yann M'Vila has revealed his love for club rivals, Manchester United. This may be a big blow for Liverpool, who have reportedly been scouting the Rennes player for a while through their Director of Football Strategy, Damien Comolli, and it perhaps shows a sign of the times at Liverpool. The Mersey side club have dropped out of the top four, haven't won a trophy for a couple of years, and have suffered utter turmoil both on and off the pitch in recent times having trouble with both their owners and managers.

The French player M'Villa, who has been described as a player who possesses "excellent defensive abilities" and "impressive physical strength" said:

"Manchester United is the club of my dreams. It's a very prestigious club and I dream to play for them."

Since losing Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid in 2009, Liverpool have never really replaced him with a quality central midfielder to partner Steven Gerrard, who can create for the attack, whilst holding the team together in the middle of the park. They tried with Alberto Aquilani - look where that ended up. Raul Meireles hasn't had an immediate impact on Liverpool, and doesn't look as if he has the authority to command the midfield like Alonso used to. M'Villa would certainly add to the squad at Liverpool.

Manchester United on the other hand, have not been linked to the player as heavily as Liverpool have, but will soon be looking for some midfielders themselves as Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs will be looking towards retirement in the near future. The problem with transfers at United is mainly about both the price, and the preference of the player. If the player wants to join you, you have a great chance of signing him, but if you are in hundreds of millions of pounds of debt... well there lies the problem.

United have been linked to Belgian central midfielder Steven Defour, as well as German play maker Bastien Schweinsteiger for the central position, while players such as Michel Bastos and Fabio Coentrao have been tipped to replace Giggs - despite both being defenders.

Liverpool have far bigger problems on the pitch than top of the League, unbeaten Manchester United, but both teams can easily be improved. By who, we will have to find out.

Honda & Sturridge Want Liverpool Move

More January transfer news now, and this time over at Liverpool where Hodgson is scouring the world for players who can turn his fortunes around - with the help of his director of football strategy whose name seems to be everywhere in relation to Liverpool transfer targets, Damien Comolli. It has emerged today that Liverpool are the front runners to sign both Keisuke Honda of CSKA Moscow, and Danny Sturridge of Chelsea, as both players are reportedly keen to play at Anfield.

Keisuke Honda represented his country, Japan in the 2010 World Cup and scored a couple of goals thanks to his amazingly powerful free kick technique. He currently plays his club football in Russia at CSKA Moscow, but his agent has suggested a move to Liverpool could be on the cards. Honda had previously been linked with a move to Arsenal, but a Liverpool switch is far more likely. Kees Ploegsma, the players agent, said that the move was only speculation at the moment, as the Reds have not made a firm bid, but Liverpool and the Premier League is where he wants to be:

“If he could move to a club like Liverpool it would be great, but the two clubs must come to an agreement first. The Premier League is a great competition which he would like to play in.”

The situation with the young Chelsea striker, Danny Sturridge is less clear, but it is thought that the 21 year-old has requested a loan move away from Stamford Bridge, with his preferred option being Liverpool. The former Manchester City player has made only 11 substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, scoring in none of them, and a good run in a team would do his confidence - and goal rate the world of good.

Once tipped to be the player of his generation, he is now a bench warmer for Chelsea, and seeking a temporary move away to prove he can handle the Premier League. No doubt he has potential, but if he isn't given the chance to show it, his talents will have been wasted.

Roy Hodgson will be keen to strengthen his attacking force, and with Honda being an impressive attacking midfielder and Sturridge being a classy striker with bags of potential, Liverpool will be moving in the right direction with these two signings.

Arsenal & Liverpool to Fight for German Defender

Pace is gathering on the rumours surrounding Per Mertesacker's future, with reports suggesting that Arsenal and Liverpool will soon go head to head for the German defender's signature.

Arsenal have been linked to Blackburn defender, Chris Samba as well as Mertesacker, but it looks as if, now that the transfer window has opened, Wenger is stepping up his chase for the Werder defender. According to reports, Arsenal have actually tabled a bid of £8.5 million, but the Bundesliga club apparently want a fee more in the region of £10 million.

Roy Hodgson's interest is also clear, as he has apparently had Damien Comolli, the Liverpool director of football strategy watch the 26 year-old last month and has advised the Liverpool board to hand the money over and make his signing a priority. Jamie Carragher is currently out injured with a shoulder injury, and Mertesacker would definitely sure up the Liverpool defence and certainly be a great addition to the Reds squad in general.

Mertesacker is very experienced, with 127 games for his German club and an impressive total of 73 International appearances. He stands at a massive 6 foot 6 inches, and has the ability to score a few from set pieces because of his towering height. A total of 22 career goals mark out the German as a player who can add several advantages to the two sides defence which can sometimes be suspect.

It is likely that the defender would prefer a move to current high flyer's Arsenal in London, as they are more or less guaranteed Champions League football next season, and have a very good chance of winning the Premier League title this season. The chance to be a part of this with Arsenal will probably be far more attractive than a mid-table scrap with a team that are often all over the place. Or maybe he likes a challenge.

Arsenal & Liverpool In Race to Sign the New Theo Walcott

With Arsenal's defensive issues, it may come as a surprise that they are linked to yet another attacking midfielder - this time, a player who plays on the wing. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain plays for Southampton in League 1, and is being compared to Arsenal winger and former Southampton man, Theo Walcott.

In March, he became Southampton's second youngest player to ever play in a match - behind Theo Walcott, at the age of 16 years and 199 days. Now 17, his club have said that he is better than Walcott was at the same age, and as a result will ask for a £10 million fee to prise the young Englishman away from St Marys.

A Southampton source said:

“A lot of the big clubs are watching Alex but it will take serious money to get him. The coaching staff rate him higher than Walcott at the same age and the club have sorted out their financial issues so are not under any great pressure to sell him for a knockdown fee. It will take Walcott money to get him.”

He is currently being played out on the wing, but his pace, strength, touch, awareness and eye for goal mark him out as a future central attacking midfielder - a role in which Arsenal have plenty of players. Liverpool on the other hand lack in this field, and their new director of football strategy Damien Comolli, has reportedly raised his interests in the young player.

It has been said that Theo Walcott would have benefited from staying at Southampton a few seasons longer instead of jumping into such a higher League so soon, and that way, he may have gained more experience and made a bigger impact at Arsenal. This may be another factor to consider for both the prospective clubs, Arsenal and Liverpool, as well as the player himself.

Arsenal and Arsene Wenger have a good track record when it comes to developing young talent, and Liverpool have recently been turning to their youth with players such as Jonjo Shelvey and Jay Spearing playing a larger role. Southampton will of course want to keep their starlet, but with two of the biggest clubs in English football interested, it would be hard for a young player to turn down such a big opportunity.

N'Zogbia to Liverpool?

Charles N'Zogbia of Wigan Athletic has continually been linked with a move away from the DW Stadium, and has even admitted himself that if a bigger, better club came calling, he would happily consider it, describing Wigan as a "stepping stone" to future success.

Liverpool, and their new director of football strategy, Damien Comolli, have already been linked to a few creative midfielders including Marek Hamsik, Eden Hazard and Giovani dos Santos, and are now reportedly interested in signing the Wigan Frenchman in a deal worth a possible £9 million. It is thought that the extra natural width will produce more chances for the strikers - namely, Fernando Torres, as Liverpool seek to gain as many points as possible in their climb back to success.

Ryan Babel has failed to impress for Liverpool since his move from Ajax in 2007, while the striker-turned-winger Dirk Kuyt has a distinct lack of back-up for when he gets injured or needs a rest. Hodgson has apparently registered this, and was reportedly keeping a close eye on 24-year old N'Zogbia in Wigan's recent 2 - 2 draw with Stoke City in which he put in a man of the match performance.

N'Zogbia recently said:

"Wigan's just a stepping stone. They know very well I'm not a player who is going to stay at the club.

"I give 100 per cent on the pitch, but, if there's a bigger club that wants me, the manager and the president have always told me the door is open for discussion."

He has been a major player for Wigan since signing in 2009; he was named Wigan's Players' Player of the Year and Supporters' Player of the Season for 2009–10, and scored the winning goal against Arsenal in an excellent comeback in April which all but secured struggling Wigan's Premier League status.

Last summer he was given permission to speak to Birmingham City, after a £9 million was accepted by Wigan, but the deal did not materialise. So if he was eager to join Birmingham, surely he will be convinced to join Liverpool - especially as he will then have the chance to play alongside two of the best players in the world in Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. That way,Wigan will have turned out to be the perfect "stepping stone" for the former Newcastle man.

Liverpool Line-up Rennes Winger

Liverpool are lining up Sylvain Marveaux of French club Rennes on a free transfer.

The 24-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season, and he has expressed his desire not to renew it, therefore making him free to find a new club at no cost. Monaco, Marseille and Paris Saint Germain are said to be interested, but Liverpool's new director of football strategy, Damien Comolli, has marked the Frenchman out as a player who will add nicely to the small squad that Liverpool now have.

He can play in a number of positions in the midfield but is mostly played on the left side of midfield or in a further advanced position more centrally. Last season, Marveaux played 28 times in all competitions, scored 12 goals, and assisted 5. Despite suggestions that the new director of football strategy at Liverpool may have a bigger say in transfers than Hodgson would like, Hodgson has made it clear that it is important for the manager to make the decisions on who will be in is team.

The free transfer is also convenient for Liverpool. Although they have new owners who admit that investment is needed, it is not known whether John Henry will spend big money, so a free signing while adding to the squad at the same time will only help Liverpool's still slightly fragile position.