Valencia star Sofiane Feghouli
Having already added Philippe Coutinho's talents to the Liverpool squad this year, Brendan Rodgers is reportedly eyeing up Valencia attacker Sofiane Feghouli for his next transfer, according to reports in France. The Algeria international is one of Los Che's key players, and with Liverpool said to be readying a £9m bid for him in the summer, talkSPORT's Transfer Spotlight has more.
Name: Sofiane Feghouli
Date of birth: 26 December, 1989
Birthplace: Levallois-Perret, France
Position: Attacking midfielder
Club: Valencia
International appearances: 12 (Algeria)
What's the latest?
Manchester United were linked with Feghouli last winter, but just when a move looked likely to happen, the attacker signed a contract extension with Valencia. That doesn't mean Liverpool will find it impossible to sign him, but it does mean they are likely to have to fork out a significant sum in order to do so. Valencia used the same strategy with Juan Mata in January 2011, renewing his contract in order to increase his buyout clause, then selling him to Chelsea only months later.
Did you know?
1) Following spells with Red Star Paris and Paris FC as a youngster, Feghouli went on trial with PSG, but failed to catch the eye of the scouts. As a result, he soon switched to smaller French side Grenoble, with whom he would make his professional debut in 2007.
2) The playmaker was one of many from Algerian descent to be labeled 'the next Zidane' in his youth, but unlike the France and Real Madrid legend, Feghouli would opt to play for Algeria rather than his country of birth.
3) Feghouli played for France at youth level, and was even part of a preliminary list drawn up by Raymond Domenech to play for Les Bleus in 2008 against Uruguay, though he never made the final cut. Following some persistent persuasion by Algeria captain Yazid Mansouri and then coach Rabah Saadane, Feghouli eventually opted to play for Algeria, holding a press conference to confirm his decision in October 2011.
4) The midfielder has shown in recent games why Algeria were so determined to sway his decision, developing into an influential figure for the national team and their designated number ten. In December 2012 he won the Algerian Ballon d'Or.
5) Valencia have had an inconsistent season, producing hot and cold displays both in Europe and domestically, but Feghouli has been a bright spot for the La Liga side, scoring six goals and assisting five in 29 games.
They say
"Valencia is one of the best clubs in the world. I have everything I need to grow here. I'm very happy to continue, and I don't know anything about previous offers for me. I only worry about whether Valencia are doing well, the rest I leave to my agent who does an excellent job."
Video evidence
Is Feghouli worth paying big money for? Let us know below...