Liverpool are in the “driving seat” to sign Juventus striker Carlos Tevez, according to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Colin Harvey of the Daily Star).  

The Argentinian striker is being “tipped” to leave Turin after leading Juve to Serie A and Coppa Italia titles, not to mention defeat against Barcelona in Saturday’s Champions League final. Harvey’s report indicates Liverpool are front-runners “if Tevez decides he wants to leave.”

He netted 27 goals and provided eight assists in 45 matches across the Italian division and Europe during the 2014-15 campaign, per WhoScored.com.

Tevez used to play for Liverpool’s fierce rivals Manchester United, where he won two Premier League titles, the League Cup, the Community Shield, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup, before moving to Manchester City and capturing three more English trophies.

He started his English career with West Ham United in 2006, having previously represented Boca Juniors and Corinthians in South America. Tevez’s willingness to play for City, one of United’s rivals, suggests he could entertain the idea of heading to Anfield.

Sport Witness notes that, although reports in Italy, such as Corriere dello Sport‘s, indicate he is likely to leave, Liverpool aren’t being discussed:

Jonathan Johnson of ESPN FC also doesn’t mention Liverpool and suggests Tevez could end up in Spain:

The hard-working striker usually becomes a fan favourite when he moves to a new team. His bullish nature and industriousness combines with clinical goalscoring ability to define a player who has a knack of leading teams to success. Tevez is powerful, hard to knock off of the ball and the kind of player who doesn’t give up on lost causes.

However, Liverpool confirmed the signing of Burnley striker Danny Ings on Monday, per the club’s official Twitter account:

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers will need to sell at least one of Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert or Fabio Borini to ensure the squad doesn’t become overcrowded with forwards who have suffered with a lack of production in recent times. Ings is a quality capture, but only adding him to the club’s attacking numbers would be disappointing.

Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Will Giles of Metro) reports that Borini could be moved on in a player-plus-cash deal for Inter Milan’s Mateo Kovacic.  Giles’ article suggests Kovacic has agreed personal terms with the Merseyside club but that Liverpool’s £15 million bid isn’t enough.

Borini is outlined as a “makeweight,” or if this doesn’t spark Inter’s interest, Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva could be utilised as a bargaining chip instead.

In May, David Anderson of the Daily Mirror reported that Rodgers refused to sell Lucas to Inter during the January transfer window. With James Milner now signed on a free from Manchester City, however, it is suggested Lucas is no longer required by the Reds.

Kovacic is a versatile midfielder who can play in the centre or from the left. The 21-year-old is creative and doesn’t shy away from winning the ball back. He also scored a stunning goal for Croatia during Sunday’s 4-0 win over Gibraltar, highlighted below:

Rodgers may be buoyed by the thought of Liverpool’s last signing from Inter, a certain Philippe Coutinho, becoming the club’s star performer over the last year. Kovacic isn’t so technically gifted or attack-minded, but he could fulfill multiple roles for the manager.

Tevez would also be classed as a signing who could dominate in a number of different formations. Rodgers loves to use multifunctional players who allow him to regularly shift strategy, as highlighted by Ings and Milner joining. A superstar striker and strengthening across the pitch is still needed, though.

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