Liverpool hope that it will be second time lucky as they bid for Fiorentina’s Montenegro star Stevan Jovetic for a second time.
The failure of a move for the forward in the summer of 2009 was one of the key reasons behind the falling out between then manager Rafael Benitez and former co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, with that feud only growing when Jovetic scored two goals for Fiorentina as the Italian side beat the Reds in a Champions League fixture in September 2009.
Injury has hampered the talented star since then, as he missed the entire 2010/11 season with a knee injury, but at still just 22 the Montenegrin has a lot to offer.
When Reds boss Kenny Dalglish was originally brought back to Liverpool in both a youth academy and an ambassadorial role in 2009 he undertook small amount of scouting duties – including watching Luis Suarez – and the Scot is believed to have been impressed with the quality of Jovetic, who has been likened to Roberto Baggio in Italy.
Reds transfer guru Damien Comolli is always on the lookout for top young talent across the world, and the Frenchman is reportedly ready to table a bid of around £15million to Fiorentina for Jovetic before Tuesday, which would almost double the fee that the Florence club paid to Partizan Belgrade for the player in 2008.
Suarez will return from his much-publicised ban in early February, but Liverpool have struggled for goals even with their Uruguayan star in the team this season, with Andy Carroll not finding form, Dirk Kuyt’s goals drying up and Craig Bellamy unable to play too many matches in succession due to previous injuries.