Liverpool have added Jordan Henderson to their list of midfield targets for the summer as Kenny Dalglish prepares to test Sunderland's resolve to keep the England international at the Stadium of Light.
Henderson had been linked with a move to Manchester United earlier in the season as his impressive form earned a full England debut against France in November and prompted the Sunderland manager, Steve Bruce, to value the 20-year-old at £20m. Now Liverpool are keen on the Sunderland-born talent and with their owner, Fenway Sports Group, allocating a substantial transfer budget to Dalglish, they have the means to prise Henderson away from his boyhood club.
Sunderland have dismissed claims that they had received and rejected a £13m offer from Liverpool for the midfielder, and the Anfield club refused to make any comment on the potential transfer. However Henderson's club are aware of Liverpool's interest and expect that to develop into a firm bid during the close season. The midfielder is in Stuart Pearce's squad for the European Under-21 Championship in Denmark this month, and his future is unlikely to be resolved before that competition is over.
Bruce would be opposed to losing a player he has championed since Henderson established himself in the Sunderland first team two seasons ago and who signed a five-year contract with the club in April 2010. The Sunderland manager is determined to rebuild with "eight or nine" new players this summer and has £18m to spend from the sale of Darren Bent to Aston Villa in January. But a major offer for Henderson would assist his attempted revamp, particularly if the player were receptive to an Anfield move.
Dalglish is keen to add more quality to the Liverpool midfield next season. Though Henderson impressed in central midfield in his first full campaign for Sunderland, he is also comfortable on the right of midfield and his crossing ability would appeal to a manager seeking to improve the supply to Andy Carroll. The Aston Villa pair of Stewart Downing and Ashley Young are also on Dalglish's wanted list, as is Blackpool's Charlie Adam, although he faces competition from Manchester United for Young and a difficult task to prise Downing from Villa Park. Villa are resigned to losing Young this summer but are reluctant to let Downing go too, even though the England international is refusing to extend a contract that has two years remaining and has begun publicly agitating for an exit from the Midlands.
