Sterling most under threat if Lallana moves to Liverpool

It’s a potential transfer which has been bubbling for a while now and it looks to have moved one step closer with the latest reports implying Liverpool are hoping to snare Southampton playmaker Adam Lallana before the World Cup.

Lallana will sign off a brilliant season on a personal and team level against outgoing champions Manchester United at St Mary’s, where Southampton are priced at 13/8 to end it on a high with all three points.

The shortness of Saints’ price to take the spoils is testament to the fine season Mauricio Pochettino has overseen on the south coast, where his skipper Lallana has been an integral part of their eighth-placed Premier League finish.

But with such a successful campaign comes unwanted attention. Pochettino faces a real struggle to keep his best players and now Liverpool have emerged as Lallana’s keenest suitors it may be hard for Southampton to resist.

Lallana has scored nine times in the top flight during 2013/14, laying on six more goals and has created close to 70 chances for his teammates. Brendan Rodgers clearly wants a piece of that action.

However, given the sorts of attack-minded midfield players the Reds boss already has at his disposal, Lallana’s arrival will certainly have to lead to some displacement.

Rodgers has championed a number of formations this season, though the two he has stuck most steadfastly to are the 4-3-3 and the 4-4-2 using a diamond.

And with this in mind, Lallana’s most suitable position in either set-up would be at the tip of the diamond or on the right of the front three to accommodate Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.

This would be most detrimental to young Raheem Sterling who has excelled in both of those positions for Liverpool this season at Anfield.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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