Liverpool target Adriano and Menez as summer reinforcements

Liverpool have identified two top targets for the summer already in Barcelona defender Adriano Correia and PSG forward Jeremy Menez.

Brendan Rodgers’ Reds are 6/1 shots to win the Premier League this season and massively odds-on to finish in the top four, but have a problem at left back and need backup in attack to prolific strike partnership Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez.

The Anfield outfit have identified Barca (7/2 second-favourites for the Champions League) and Brazil left back Adriano, who turns 30 in October, as the experienced option needed in defence. Rodgers is reportedly confident of landing him for a cut-price £6m.

Former Sevilla star Adriano is under contract at the Nou Camp until 2017, but is backup to Jordi Alba at the Catalan Giants and has lost his place in Phil Scolari’s national squad as a result.

Current Liverpool left back Jose Enrique has struggled with injury this season, and the on-loan Aly Cissokho has clearly failed to impress Rodgers in his temporary spell at Anfield from Valencia.

Winger Menez, meanwhile, is out of contract at Ligue 1 leaders PSG this summer and, like Adriano, has suffered from stiff competition. The likes of Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Lucas Moura and Javier Pastore are all at the Parc des Princes.

Menez, who turns 27 before the end of the season, has also lost his place in the French national squad ahead of the World Cup. It looks unlikely Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps will pick him for the finals in Brazil, unless he has injuries.

Desperate to avoid a similar story in two years’ time when France hosts Euro 2016 (they are 11/2 to win it), Menez may throw his lot in with Liverpool. Current Reds wide options, including Spanish pair Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto, have flopped.

Rodgers does not have a clear run on Menez, however, after former Anfield hero Sami Hyypia – now manager at Bayer Leverkusen – wants to bring the attacker to the Bundesliga.

Leverkusen are losing Germany winger Sidney Sam to Gelsenkirchen club Schalke this summer. Hyypia has identified Menez as an ideal replacement, but the Finn’s old side look certain for Champions League qualification and that makes Anfield an attractive destination.