Liverpool will redouble their efforts to land a Premier League quality striker during the summer transfer window, after learning that Daniel Sturridge will be out until at least September following his hip operation.
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Brendan Rodgers confirmed on Friday that Sturridge faces a lengthy recovery period before he can be expected to return to training. He told our official website: “We’re anticipating it’s going to be around September before he can actually start training and then it’s about getting his fitness up.”
The Times believe that Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke remains top of Rodgers’ list of candidates to fill that void, while they add that Fabio Borini, Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli are all likely to leave.
That means the Reds’ could be eyeing up an all new strikeforce next season, led by Benteke, and also involving the likes of Divock Origi – who will return to the club following his year on loan with Lille.
Benteke has flourished under the stewardship of Tim Sherwood, with the pair guiding Villa clear of the Premier League relegation zone and into the FA Cup final – beating Liverpool in the semi-final.
The 24-year-old Belgian has scored eleven goals in his last nine games for the Midlands side, taking his tally to 48 in just 97 games since the start of the 2012-13 season – a remarkable return while playing for a team that typically struggles to score goals.