Is this £15m Serie A duo just what Liverpool need?

Barring a bizarre reversal of form, Liverpool look dead set for Champions League football again next season. But whilst it will be nice to see The Reds among the European elite once more, Brendan Rodgers needs to make sure that his squad is thick enough to compete on multiple fronts.

It’s not easy for teams to compete meaningfully in the cup competitions, the league and in Europe. If The Reds were to attempt this without any new additions to the squad, I’m not sure that they’d be particularly successful.

They’ve been in excellent form of late in part due to the undemanding nature of their season. I just hope that this doesn’t make them complacent.

If the papers are to be believed, Brendan Rodgers certainly has some ambitious transfer plans. Take, for instance, The Mirror‘s claim that The Reds are on the trail of Napoli duo, Gokhan Inler and Valon Behrami. Would this pairing help to add depth to Liverpool’s squad?

Interestingly enough, Behrami already has Premier League experience. He made 58 appearances for West Ham between 2008 and 2011, scoring 4 times. Unfortunately, these years were marked with a slew of injuries and he eventually moved to Fiorentina and then to Napoli, where he has been for the last couple of years.

He’s a decent footballer, that’s for sure, but it’s Gokhan Inler who is the real catch. He made his name at Udinese, before moving to Napoli back in 2011. Since then, he’s made 123 appearances for The Little Donkeys, scoring 12 goals.

He’s a defensive-minded midfielder who covers a huge amount of ground, works extremely hard, harasses opponents and helps his team to dominate opponents. With The Reds looking to strengthen their midfield, a player like Inler could be just the ticket.

The Mirror claim that Brendan Rodgers will attempt to use Pepe Reina ‘as bait’ to help him land this dynamic duo. They also suggest that Reina is worth around £6.5m, whilst Inler and Behrami are valued at around £15m. If my maths is correct, that’d set The Reds back £8.5m, which isn’t a bank-breaking fee.

This would leave Liverpool some money to re-jig their defence and maybe bring in a winger. And if Brendan Rodgers can achieve all this, who knows what Liverpool will be capable of next season?

What’s your take? Is this Serie A pairing just the ticket for Liverpool?

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