Rodgers hopes to reunite with Wales star at Liverpool
Published:With the impending retirement of club stalwart Jamie Carragher looming large over Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers believes he has identified an ideal replacement for the battle-hardened veteran.
Swansea and Wales captain Ashley Williams is the man, and Rodgers believes the relationship the pair built during his time in Wales will stand him in good stead to land the 28-year-old.
Formerly of Stockport County, the Swans centre-half has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water in their two-year top flight stint thus far.
As such, he has earned wide acclaim to accompany his new-found international captaincy, and is believed to have a host of top clubs chasing his signature, including Arsenal and Tottenham.
Rodgers would appear to be in pole position to snap the player up though, after helping develop his talents during his two-year Liberty Stadium tenure.
A central defender is a priority recruitment for the Reds boss this summer, with doubts surrounding the futures of Martin Skrtel and Sebastian Coates, in addition to Carragher’s retirement.
Skrtel and Coates have fallen way down the Anfield pecking order, and Rodgers is thought to be more than willing to oversee their Merseyside departures this term.
Add to that the reported outgoings of Pepe Reina, Jose Enrique and Jordan Henderson, and the Reds chief would have a substantial transfer kitty to utilise in the close season.
He will use any cash generated by player sales to fund a bid for Williams, who is likely to command a fee in the region of £10m.
It is thought that Rodgers would have made a move for the defender earlier, but for a gentleman’s agreement he made when leaving his former club.
Rodgers vowed not to raid his former club for their most precious playing talents for at least a year, with the exception of Joe Allen, whom he signed upon Merseyside arrival.
It now looks tied-on that Williams will become Rodgers’ second recruit from his former club.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
