Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was coy when asked about the imminent signing of Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke on Wednesday.

The Reds manager spoke to the press ahead of Liverpool’s pre-season fixture against a Malaysia XI in Kuala Lumpur, where he batted off questions surrounding the Belgian’s arrival, as tweeted by James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo:

Benteke’s signing is due to be announced on Wednesday, reported Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports. Solhekol described the situation, suggesting Benteke will be the club’s seventh and final signing of a busy summer period, per Sky Sports (h/t Audioboom):

Rodgers is in desperate need of a prolific goalscorer after last season’s disappointing attacking output in the Premier League, highlighted by OptaJoe:

Having sold Raheem Sterling to Manchester City—who contributed seven strikes and seven assists to the Reds’ total, per WhoScored.com—it’s now important Liverpool are stacked with quality in the opposition’s box. Benteke is proven in the division, having netted 19, 10 and 13 in three respective seasons with Villa, and is ready to make the step up.

His presence will put a strain on the likes of Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini, three forwards who need transfers to rejuvenate their careers. Rodgers acknowledged Balotelli is working diligently to keep himself in shape, despite not joining the squad on tour, per Pearce:

Inter Milan have rejected the chance to re-sign Balotelli on a season-long loan, according to Calciomercato (h/t Liam Corless of the Mirror). The 24-year-old remains “keen” on a move back to Italy, per Corless’ report.

Lambert is due to speak with West Bromwich Albion over a possible transfer, reported Sky Sports. The physical striker failed to make an impression during his debut season with Liverpool, scoring just two Premier League goals, and he must find first-team football if he’s to rejuvenate his chances of making England’s Euro 2016 squad.

Sam Wallace of the Independent believes West Ham United are interested in Borini, but they are yet to make a formal offer for his services.

Benteke’s transfer could be a watershed moment for Liverpool. A second summer of investment is key to helping the club remain in the hunt for Champions League places, especially as the Premier League’s top four also continue to fine-tune their squads.

Rodgers needs to land elite European football or a trophy to keep the doubters at bay next term. This squad will be seen as his own—even if the club’s transfer committee has had a huge say—so significant progress is vital over the next year.

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Bayern Munich continued their pre-season preparations with a smart win over Inter Milan in Shanghai on Tuesday afternoon. 

In the glamour tie, Pep Guardiola opted to start a strong side intent on playing out his tactical wishes for the day, before bringing on a whole new team throughout the latter stages of the game. 

Although such games can rarely be taken with too much seriousness, there are little bits and bobs fans and analysts can take from the games.

Here is what we took from Bayern‘s 1-0 victory over Inter on Tuesday afternoon. 

Begin Slideshow

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Mario Gotze’s late goal led German champions Bayern Munich to a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday, a match the Bundesliga side dominated from start to finish in front of the Shanghai crowd.

Bayern boss Pep Guardiola began with an experienced side for the pre-season friendly, including new signing Douglas Costa, as noted by the club’s official Twitter feed:

Inter coach Roberto Mancini also posted a familiar lineup, which included new midfield behemoth Geoffrey Kondogbia:

Bayern’s prodding and probing defined the first half, but even so, Samir Handanovic was barely tested between the Inter sticks. 

Costa made a positive impression down the right flank with his explosive play. He shifted the ball quickly, utilising his natural confidence on the ball to toy with Inter’s young full-back Federico Dimarco, noted Bayern’s feed:

The 24-year-old worked well alongside Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller, providing a range of runs in-field and down the byline to keep Mancini’s side penned in.

Muller continued to support his team-mates by providing late runs into the box. His saunters nearly saw the deadlock broken as half-time approached, but his low shot travelled beyond the nearest defender and wide of Handanovic’s post.

Prior to this, Muller’s clever pass allowed what should have been a simple tap-in for Philipp Lahm, but the veteran’s finish was brilliantly cleared off the line by new Inter man Jeison Murillo, per Bayern:

Lahm was forced off shortly after, but his club confirmed the injury isn’t going to provide a long-term problem:

Bayern continued to enjoy greater possession after the break. However, the sides’ attacking consistency diminished after a plethora of changes for both teams, but Inter never looked like beating Manuel Neuer. Pierre Hojbjerg went close for Bayern with a deflected free-kick on the 56-minute mark as plenty of youngsters—including Gotze—entered the fray.

B/R UK’s Stefan Bienkowski bemoaned the lack of firepower from Inter:

However, the Italian side’s fans were in full voice, as highlighted by the Serie A club:

It was Gotze who made the difference inside the final 10 minutes with a cool moment of skill. He found acres of space behind Inter’s much-changed defensive line before skipping around Handanovic and slotting into the gaping goal, tweeted the club:

Gotze is currently linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena, as reported by Bild (h/t Mark Rodden of ESPN FC), speculation not lost on Bienkowski:

Bayern easily saw the game out without much trouble. Guardiola will be pleased to see his side playing fast-paced, possession-based football at this point. However, he will no doubt pinpoint greater efficiency in front of goal as a key area of improvement ahead of the Bundesliga campaign.

Inter were lifeless and lacked ambition, but they will be hoping to quickly bounce back when they face local rivals AC Milan during Saturday’s International Champions Cup match in Shenzhen.

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Atletico Madrid have signed Montenegrin centre-back Stefan Savic from Fiorentina for €12 million, according to Marca. 

The 24-year-old has been brought to the Vicente Calderon to replace the now-departed Miranda, the Brazilian defender having recently made the switch to Inter Milan.

As part of the deal to sign Savic from Fiorentina, Atletico Madrid have sent midfielder Mario Suarez the other way.

Savic, who’s spent the last three seasons in Serie A following a move from Manchester City in 2012, will undergo a medical on Monday before joining up with the rest of Atletico’s squad. 

Across the following slides, we examine his strengths and weaknesses.

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Bayern Munich continue their China tour on Tuesday as they take on Inter in Shanghai. Pep Guardiola‘s men won the first fixture of their visit to the Far East, beating Valencia on Saturday, and will aim to build some momentum as the 2015-16 competitive season approaches.

The Valencia fixture was an interesting one for Guardiola‘s side, with the coach successfully experimenting with a sort of hybrid 3-1-4-2 formation that included only one natural center-back, Jerome Boateng, and saw Thomas Muller and Philipp Lahm combine for a pair of goals. Despite playing in the absence of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, the Bavarians had little trouble scoring and managed to run out 4-1 winners against Los Che.

The Bavarians will face Roberto Mancini’s Inter Milan in a replay of the 2010 Champions League final. The Italians have undergone big changes in recent years, and this summer added Geoffrey Kondogbia to their ranks with his €30 million transfer from Monaco.

The Nerrazzurri only just arrived in China and have only played test matches against third-division German side Stuttgarter Kickers and newly promoted Serie A club Carpi, winning both fixtures by an aggregate 8-5 margin. Despite a disappointing 2015-16 campaign, they look ready to make a serious push in Serie A this season and will be stiff competition for the Bavarians as Mancini has brought a strong, 25-man squad to China.

Date: Tuesday, July 21

Time: 1 p.m. BST/8 a.m. EST

Venue: Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai

TV Info: Not available (U.S. only), Sky (UK only)

Live Stream: Not available (U.S. only), Sky Sports 1 (UK only)

Form Guide 

Predicted Lineups

Javi Martinez sat out of the Valencia match with ice on his knee, and it’s uncertain as to when he will return to action.

Guardiola may use the same 3-1-4-2 formation that featured on Saturday, but perhaps a more likely scenario would be to reintroduce Robert Lewandowski into the starting lineup and go with a three-man attack, in which case Sebastian Rode would probably drop out of the starting lineup.

Possible starting XI: Neuer; Rafinha, Boateng, Alaba; Lahm, Alonso, Bernat; Thiago; Muller, Lewandowski, Costa

Mancini has brought 25 players to China, with Jonathan Biabiany, Gaston Camara, Dodo, George Puscas and Nemanja Vidic left behind for medical reasons. As well, Saphir Taider and Miranda have remained in Italy as a result of complications with obtaining visas.

There is the possibility of Xherdan Shaqiri starting against his former club, but the Swiss appears not to fit tactically in Mancini’s system and could leave the club soon.

Possible starting XI: Handanovic; Montoya, Ranocchia, Jesus, Dimarco; Brozovic, Kondogbia, Kovacic; Hernanes; Palacio, Icardi 

Players to watch

For Bayern, the duo of Lahm at wing-back and Muller as a center forward worked brilliantly against Valencia. It will be interesting to see if Guardiola continues with the pair in similar roles, or if he mixes things up against Inter.

Additionally, all eyes will be on Douglas Costa, who has proven to be a live-wire in attack during the preseason thus far. He set up Thiago for Bayern‘s third goal on Saturday, and set up the Spaniard a week before for his side’s only goal of the Telekom Cup.

For Inter, Kondogbia impressed in the Carpi match, assisting Rodrigo Palacio and dominating the midfield with his combination of skill and physicality. The new signing is certainly one to keep an eye on as he comes up against one of Europe’s strongest midfield combinations.

Palacio, meanwhile, has scored three goals in two friendlies, rolling back the years. Despite being 33 years of age, the Argentine looks to still have something to offer. His partner up front, Mauro Icardi, is also one to watch due to his outstanding finishing and fine skills on the ball.

Key Battles

Thiago Alcantara vs Geoffrey Kondogbia

Thiago has had a great preseason individually, scoring a pair of goals and nearly flicking in a back-heel golazo on Saturday. His added goalscoring threat comes only as a bonus, with the Spaniard otherwise doing a fine job of his duties in distributing the ball in the attacking third.

Kondogbia‘s role will be to neutralize the Bayern attack as it enters the final third, with Thiago his primary target. The €30 million ex-Monaco man will have to prove he’s worth the money Inter spent to secure his signing, but he has enormous class and has already had a positive start to his career in Milan.

Xabi Alonso vs Mateo Kovacic

The metronome of the Bayern midfield continues to be Xabi Alonso, even as he approaches his 34th birthday. The Spaniard’s distribution of the ball remains sharp, his long-ranged delivery perhaps the best in the Bundesliga.

Opposite Alonso is Mateo Kovacic, almost 13 years younger than the Bayern man and still well on the rise. The Croatia international has a somewhat similar role at Inter, his distribution in deep areas being key to the Nerrazzurri‘s game plan. Their head-to-head battle will determine the run of play.

Odds (courtesy of Odds Checker)

Bayern: 7/10

Draw: 5/2

Inter: 10/3

@Mr_Bundesliga

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If you believe in things being written in the stars, that fate has a helping hand in delivering success to some and not to others, then you may well be of the opinion that this year belongs to Chelsea in the Champions League.

Jose Mourinho has won European club football’s greatest honour twice—in 2004 with Porto and in 2010 as manager of Inter Milan.

With a six-year gap between each success, the pattern suggests he’ll lead Chelsea to glory in 2015/16.

Of course, Chelsea will need much more than Champions League symmetry to help them on their way next season.

Barcelona were back to their imperious best when they sealed a fifth European Cup last season. Luis Enrique’s men won’t give up the ghost easily, while the usual suspects of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich will have a big say.

Beaten finalists of last season Juventus will be back for more, as will Paris Saint-Germain.

A little closer to home, Manchester United have returned to Europe’s elite, and with some good business already in the transfer window, Manchester City and Arsenal will be hoping to better their disappointments from the past.

The road to Milan is going to be a difficult one for every team competing.

Throw in Chelsea attempting to successfully defend the Premier League crown they won with such aplomb last term, and 2015/16 is looking epic.

Mourinho and his players rarely—if ever—shirk a challenge, so we can expect 2015/16 to show us much of the same.

For all the obstacles that stand in their way, Chelsea will be confident of pulling off the double in England and Europe.

Bleacher Report looks at some of the reasons why.

Diego Costa

The Spanish international didn’t score a single goal in the Champions League last season. It’s a horrible statistic for a player who proved so deadly in the Premier League for Chelsea.

With a year in England under his belt, Diego Costa’s outlook seems far more positive now, though.

Last season, he struggled with his hamstrings, not completing a full pre-season, either, after representing Spain at the World Cup.

This time is different. He’s had a long period to rest in the off-season and will be eased back into action over the coming weeks.

Chelsea are managing him much better, which should keep him fit for longer.

And as we saw last term, a fit Diego Costa is a scoring Diego Costa. His return of 20 goals was impressive, especially given the number of games he missed due to injury and suspension.

He’s going to be Chelsea’s talisman at home and abroad.

The defence

For those who need to be convinced on the virtues of strong defences and their ability to win silverware, look no further than Chelsea’s 2012 Champions League success.

With the likes of Juan Mata and Didier Drogba in attack, Chelsea were still a threat at the other end. Their success in Europe that season, however, came with the foundation of a strong rearguard.

Chelsea defence now is arguably stronger.

Jose Mourinho builds his teams from the back, and he has created a defensive juggernaut at Stamford Bridge.

John Terry and Gary Cahill have an excellent partnership at centre-back, while Cesar Azpilicueta and Branislav Ivanovic add strength on the flanks.

Aside from Azpilicueta, the back four is a physical presence both on the floor and aerially.

Added to that, Thibaut Courtois dominates his box like few goalkeepers.

The jewel in the crown is what is in front of the rearguard. Is there a defensive midfielder in Europe who is better than Nemanja Matic?

If there is, the list will be small.

The Serbian protects Chelsea’s defence from all sorts of danger. He’s excellent at breaking up play, tracking runners and giving that shield every defender craves and needs.

Chelsea have a solid foundation, and that should take them far, both in the Premier League and in Europe.

The manager

Jose Mourinho is a wily old fox. He’s shrewd, he’s ruthless and he knows how to win.

He was the catalyst that transformed Chelsea’s fortunes on the pitch over a decade ago, and since his return, he has put everything in place for the club to enjoy even more success.

Losing to Paris Saint-Germain the way they did last season would have hurt the Chelsea players, but perhaps it hurt their manager even more.

The Champions League is his competition. It’s where Mourinho made his name, and he knows it’s where he’ll create the legacy he craves at Stamford Bridge.

It’s the one major trophy that has eluded him in his time in west London, which will not sit well.

To win a domestic and European double takes motivation and the ability to negotiate the tricky moments. Mourinho doesn’t always come out on top, but more often than not, he’s a winner.

It’s those qualities that get teams through.

And besides, he’s done it all before, winning the Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League treble in 2010 with Inter Milan.

Three is the magic number

Although Chelsea reached the Champions League semi-final in Jose Mourinho‘s first season back at the club, it was an achievement that came ahead of schedule.

Mourinho was still building his team to become the one we saw in the Premier League last year.

It’s about clearing realistic hurdles, ticking boxes on a journey, of which Chelsea have done to date.

The club is winning again; Mourinho is winning again.

The Capital One Cup and Premier League double of 2014/15 have seen that fabled winning mentality return, so now Chelsea have other priorities—namely the Champions League.

it’s been a gradual journey, with everything building up to a Champions League assault. That time has come.

Success breeds success

In a similar vein to the previous point, now that this group of Chelsea players are winning, the confidence has returned to the club.

Suddenly they look stronger than ever before, with the psychological edge that success delivers ensuring the players are convinced of what they can achieve together.

The Capital One Cup was the stepping stone.

Jose Mourinho used the competition in a similar way during his first spell, and we all saw where success then took that generation of players.

It’s 10 years on, but the feeling is the same now.

After winning silverware last season, the focus will switch to other competitions. The Premier League will remain a priority, but outside of that, everything will pale into insignificance where the Champions League is concerned.

Will Chelsea chase the Capital One Cup again, or will the Champions League be the biggest priority?

The answer is clear on that one, and with the attentions solely in Europe, Chelsea are going to be a more formidable proposition.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report’s lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes

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Although much of the transfer speculation surrounding Borussia Dortmund this summer has been based around those supposedly leaving the club, there have been suggestions that Thomas Tuchel may in fact sign some more talent ahead of the new season. 

One such name that has popped is Adem Ljajic from Roma. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder was reported to be a transfer target for Dortmund, according to Italian newspaper Il Messaggero (h/t Football Italia), as a possible replacement for the departed Ciro Immobile. 

The Serbian international may have once been well regarded in the Italian capital, yet of late he’s found himself on the outskirts of Rudi Garcia’s team and could potentially favour such a move. But what exactly would Dortmund be getting for their money?

Ljajic wouldn’t come into Dortmund’s squad as a direct replacement, considering the fact that he’s more of a wide player or central, attacking midfielder, yet that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be of some use to Tuchel‘s new-look side. 

Over the course of the pre-season we’ve seen Dortmund bend to new shapes and sizes under their new manager, which has in turn meant the likes of Marco Reus, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and others have had to begin playing different football in different positions. 

As such, it would suggest to most fans that if Tuchel were to bring in another forward, he would indeed need to be capable of playing across a front line. Luckily for this Serbian international, that’s exactly what he can do. 

In Serie A last season, Ljajic regularly started one game on the right only to spend the next match on the left with little difference in his performances or what he brought to the side. A clear sign of what he could offer Tuchel in terms of options in attack. 

Unfortunately, that’s probably where Ljajic‘s positives run out in terms of what he’d offer Dortmund this season. 

The first negative to attach to the Serbian midfielder from a Dortmund point of view is the simple fact that the Bundesliga side probably don’t need him. Another striker may indeed be useful to cover Immobile’s old spot, but when it comes to attacking midfielders, Tuchel is all but sorted.  

If the club did indeed sign the Roma star, he’d be fighting it out with Reus, Mkhitaryan, Kevin Kampl, Jonas Hofmann and Jakub Blaszczykowski for just two spots in the team. Not an ideal situation for the player and a terrible allocation of resources from the club. 

There is also the fact that Ljajic didn’t have the best of seasons last year, despite playing in quite a large portion of Roma’s games throughout the Italian league campaign. According to Transfermarkt, the Serbian international picked up just eight goals and two assists in 32 Serie A games last season. Not a terrible return but certainly not one to prick the attention of Dortmund.

We also have to consider the fact that once we dive into those eight goals and two assists, it doesn’t reflect too well on the kind of player Ljajic seems to be. The vast majority of the goals and assists came against lesser sides in the league, such as Atalanta, Torino, Chievo and Cagliari. 

In fact, the only two games that could suggest Ljajic is indeed cut out for the big games were his assist against Inter Milan and goal against Fiorentina, but aside from that we saw very little from the player whenever Lazio or Juventus came to town. 

Add to that a history of turmoil and petulance at every club he’s ever played for, and there is very little about Ljajic that should interest Dortmund in his signature. This Roma talent may one day become the player he was expected to be, but he’s far too much of a risk for Tuchel‘s squad this season. 

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