Liverpool: Reds Join Sahin Chase

After the recent revelation from Brendan Rodgers that he is looking into the loan market to strengthen his Liverpool squad, Real Madrid's Nuri Sahin has emerged as a potential target...

Turkish international Nuri Sahin only joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund last summer but immediately found his first-team chances limited in Spain. Despite being voted the Bundesliga's player of the season during his last campaign in Germany, the 23-year-old managed only 10 appearances in total for Los Blancos last season.

There is no doubting Sahin's ability however and Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is reluctant to let the German-born midfielder depart permanently preferring either a loan move or a transfer that includes a buy-back option.

Mourinho was widely quoted recently as saying: "The point is, he's a young boy, he wants to play every match.

"And in Real Madrid with Xabi Alonso, with [Sami] Khedira, with Lassana [Diarra], [Esteban] Granero, [Mesut] Ozil, the situation is not easy.

"Real Madrid is very difficult. It is not an easy club, because we demand a lot. We have great players, and when you don't start well, it is difficult to do it."

There could certainly be something in Liverpool's reported interest with Rodgers admitting the club's interest in loan deals recently to Liverpoolfc.com: "I have also looked at one or two loan deals from abroad.

"There are some quality players in that market that I have enquired about and spoken to the European managers on."

Both the Express and Guardian have previously reported interest in Sahin from fellow English sides Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

Spurs are believed to be particularly interested in the player as part of the ongoing negotiations over Luca Modric's proposed transfer to the Bernabeu.

Spanish newspaper Marca however believe the strong relationship between Rodgers and Mourinho, from their time together at Chelsea, could put Liverpool in the driving seat to secure the creative playmaker's signature.

Rodgers impressed the Portguese coach at Stamford Bridge, where he worked as the youth team manager from 2004 before being promoted to head up the reserves in 2006.

Upon his appointment as Reds boss a couple of months ago, Mourinho said of Rodgers to The S*n: "Brendan is a good man, a family guy and a friend.

"When he joined us at Chelsea he was a young coach with lots of desire to learn.

"But he was also a coach with ideas, who was ready not just to listen but also to communicate and share."

Vital Verdict
Sahin would be a very good signing and with finances seemingly tight a loan deal would be likely to suit all parties. Given Rodgers' pursuit of firstly Gylfi Sigurdsson and more recently Joe Allen it seems likely he is in the market for further midfield reinforcements. That interest will have undoubtedly increased following Alberto Aquilani's recent departure from Anfield.

Other recent transfer speculation:
Clint Dempsey
Joe Allen
Scott Sinclair
Theo Walcott
Jakub Blaszczykowski
Esteban Granero
Stevan Jovetić
José María Callejón
Demba Ba
Mark Davies
Steven Davis
Andrea Schurrle
Lacina Traore
Hugo Lloris
Gaston Ramirez
Juan Manuel Vargas
James Rodriguez
Victor Moses
Salomon Rondon
Luc Castaignos
Fabio Borini
Alvaro Morata
Milos Krasic
Victor Wanyama
Salomon Kalou
Daniel Sturridge
Gylfi Sigurdsson

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