KOP News # 1407

Carroll blow as Liverpool go for £10m Roma striker Borini

By Dominic King

PUBLISHED: 21:40 GMT, 9 July 2012 | UPDATED: 21:40 GMT, 9 July 2012

Fabio Borini is set to become Brendan Rodgers' first signing, as the Liverpool manager challenges Andy Carroll to show he can be part of the new Anfield regime.

Having worked with the Italy striker at Chelsea and Swansea, Borini has been on Rodgers' wanted list for some time, and Liverpool have held lengthy discussions with his current club Roma over a deal that could be worth £10million.

Borini was co-owned by Roma and Parma last season, but Roma concluded their own £3.95m deal to take full ownership of his contract last month, which has made Liverpool's negotiations for the 21-year-old go more smoothly.

Wanted: Liverpool are hopeful of sealing a deal for Italy striker Borini (left)

It is, however, a surprise that Borini is set to move to Anfield as he said last month that he was 'a Roma player' and 'it's not my business that there is talk about whether I go there (to Liverpool) or stay.'

Rodgers wants to bring in 'three or four' additions, but aims to do that 'without throwing wheelbarrows full of money at it'.

He is also confident of getting improvement out of the Liverpool players he inherited, Carroll included.

Centre of attention: Carroll is yet to return from his holidays

The England forward has endured a turbulent 18 months since his £35million move to Anfield from Newcastle and it had been assumed that Carroll - who is being linked with a loan switch to AC Milan - will struggle to adapt to the intricate system Rodgers favours.

Though Rodgers has not handed Carroll any assurances about where he will fit into the team, he is prepared to give him the necessary chances.

'Andy is a player I want to assess and speak with,' said Rodgers, who received confirmation yesterday that Luis Suarez and Sebastian Coates will represent Uruguay in the Olympics. 

Welcome to Anfield: Rodgers was officially unveiled on Monday

Suarez will be given the honour of carrying his country's flag at the opening ceremony.

'Andy Carroll is away on his holidays but we have already had a good chat. There have been many inquiries about our players so I will assess them and hopefully put together a group to help us challenge.

'He's a very, very good player. He's shown that in his short career already. He did fantastic with Newcastle, he's done well at times with England.

'He's made a massive move to a world-renowned football club and there was always going to be a time of adaptation. You sometimes forget how young these people are. They're not machines.'

Your country needs you: Suarez has been called up by Uruguay for the Olympics

Carroll looked burdened at times last season with the weight of expectation that accompanied his colossal transfer fee, but he finished the campaign in a positive fashion and the goal he scored for England against Sweden at Euro 2012 typified all that is good about him.

'Andy is no different to any player we have here,' said Rodgers, whose squad embark on a tour of North America next week.

'It's a wee bit unfair for him to get labelled any other way. We will just see how the  formation of the group shapes up over the next month. Time will tell for him and all the players, but my job is to build a group that can challenge.'

Liverpool have been linked with Zenit St Petersburg's £16m-rated midfielder Igor Denisov, but the 28-year-old is not the type of player Rodgers is looking to sign.