Liverpool transfer news: Brendan Rodgers plans for summer strengthening with reported £20m bid for Southampton star Adam Lallana

Saints' midfielder is a shoe-in for Roy Hodgson's England squad and has garnered attention from Rodgers as he looks towards another title assault next season

Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana is a reported £20m target for Liverpool (Getty Images)

Liverpool are reported to be on the verge of a £20m bid for Southampton and England star Adam Lallana, but Mauricio Pochettino insist that the Reds have are yet to make an official approach.

Various news outlets were reporting on Friday morning that Brendan Rodgers has identified the 25-year-old as the ideal candidate to continue his ideology of developing English attacking talent, with Lallana proving one of the players of the season and looks to be a shoe-in for Roy Hodgson’s England squad for the upcoming World Cup.

While Pochettino’s future also remains unclear, the Saints’ manager addressed claims made by The Sun that Rodgers is preparing to table a bid of £20m to try and strengthen his attempt to win the Premier League – which looks destined to run into next season unless Manchester City slip-up against West Ham this weekend.

“I pretty much have the same information you have,” said Pochettino. “The club has not spoken to me officially about anything [regarding Adam.”

Lallana claimed the club’s Player of the Year award for the first time as well three other awards on the night, while he was also named in the PFA Team of the Year to cap a tremendous season on the pitch.

Speaking ahead of Southampton’s final match of the season against Manchester United, Pochettino refused to give-up much on his own future having been linked with Tottenham job should it become available in the summer if, as expected, current manager Tim Sherwood is sacked.

“I'm here, no?” joked Pochettino when quizzed whether he would still be at St Mary’s in the new season.

“I have the same goals and the same wishes. I want to be successful, ambitious and always improve as a manager.”

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With Hodgson set to announce his preliminary squad on Monday, it awaits to be seen whether Lallana will be joined by two of his Saints team-mates in Rickie Lambert and Luke Shaw. Another Southampton regular in Jay Rodriguez also looked to be in the running having made his England debut earlier this season, only to suffer a serious knee ligament injury that has ruled him out of any chance of going to Brazil.