Liverpool have been offered the Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo in part exchange for Raul Meireles, the club's Portugal international, who capped an impressive first season in England by being elected the PFA Fans' Player of the Year. Though Liverpool have refused Juventus' approach they have indicated a willingness to cash in on Meireles.
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Seeking to radically restructure their squad after finishing a lowly seventh in Serie A, Juve were quoted an asking price of around €15 million (Dh78.8m) for the 28-year-old.
An alternative proposal to include the former Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko in a deal was also knocked back by the English club.
Liverpool's readiness to sell on Meireles is a further indication of the strength of Kenny Dalglish's control of transfer policy.
Though Dalglish temporarily moved Meireles into a highly productive role as a second striker shortly after taking over as manager, the Scot has focused this summer's recruitment on domestic players.
Dalglish's reluctance to take Felipe Melo underlines the policy.
The highly regarded 27-year-old was central to Brazil's 2010 World Cup campaign and strongly pursued by Arsene Wenger the previous summer ahead of joining Juve in a €29.5m transfer.
He remains of interest to Arsenal, though after tax wages of €2.5m is an issue.
Meireles, a quadruple Portuguese Superliga winner with FC Porto, was signed by Roy Hodgson for an initial €13m last August.
He played 41 matches for Liverpool in his debut season, scoring five times, yet now finds himself behind the England Under 21 international Jordan Henderson in Dalglish's planning.
sports@thenational.ae
