Liverpool to battle Serie A giants for Spanish hitman

Liverpool are set to take on Roma in the race for Atletico Madrid striker Adrian Lopez, according to reports from talkSPORT.

The Spanish forward has seen his role at the Vicente Calderon diluted of late, following the arrival of David Villa and the razor-sharp form of Diego Costa.

As a result, the La Liga side are believed to be willing to sell Adrian, which has alerted Liverpool.

But, Roma are also in the fight following their impressive start to the season.

The Italian side currently sit atop Serie A, however their manager, Rudi Garcia, is keen to strengthen in January.

Adrian is believed to be one of his top targets, with the 25-year-old having developed a reputation for his goalscoring ability over the course of the past few seasons.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is also watching the player, and is likely to rival Roma should they make a move.

The Northern Irishman is desperate to provide Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez with adequate cover, with the pair currently the Reds’ major source of goals.

As it stands, Rodgers has little in the way of alternatives to the Anglo-Uruguayan duo, and is keen to address the situation in the New Year.