Liverpool once again linked with Real Madrid youth product

Rumours linking Liverpool to the continent’s hottest prospects are two-a-penny thanks to Brendan Rodgers’ laudable policy of developing young talent, so are there any legs in the latest whispers?

There could be some truth in Liverpool’s renewed interest in Alvaro Morata, although the path to signing him looks a little obstacle laden as the boat may have already sailed.

Before he made his summer switch to Juventus for a fee in the region of £15m, numerous reports had placed Morata on Liverpool’s radar.

However, the 22-year-old striker wasn’t pursued with any real vigour and the Italian champions were the ones to bite the bullet on a player tipped for big things.

The aforementioned bright prospects led Real Madrid to write a buy-back clause into Morata’s contract, which could be activated as early as the end of the current season.

This stipulation clearly muddies the waters and would bump up any fee astronomically, even without taking into consideration Juventus’ probable aspirations to keep hold of Morata.

Plying his trade in a different league and competing for places with established Juve strikers Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez, the former Bernabeu youth can only have impressed.

Morata has notched nine times for the Old Lady in 30 appearances, though the majority of those outings have come courtesy of the substitutes’ bench.

For Liverpool, who are deemed 15/8 favourites to lift the FA Cup ahead of their quarter-final tie with Blackburn, hunting Morata’s signature would take a concerted effort.

As well as the potential tug-of-war between Juve and Real, Arsenal are also big admirers of the number nine.

With Belgian striker Divock Origi yet to begin his Anfield journey, Rodgers will probably feel his bases are covered up front already, but that also depends on summer departures.

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