Liverpool: Brendan Rodgers monitoring AS Monaco midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia

Liverpool are reportedly monitoring AS Monaco midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, as they step up their search for Steven Gerrard's replacement.

The Reds skipper is moving to the MLS next season and Brendan Rodgers is keen to identify a replacement sooner rather than later and has been linked to various midfielders over the past few months with AS Roma's Miralem Pjanic being one of the names constantly mentioned.

According to the Daily Mail, the French midfielder has impressed the Anfield club's scouts with his performances in the Ligue 1 and the Champions League this season and the Northern Irishman could make a move during the summer transfer window.

The former Sevilla midfielder was a key player for his club when they beat Arsenal in the Champions League last-16, especially in the first-leg when AS Monaco ran out 3-1 winners at the Emirates Stadium.

The 22-year-old midfielder was courted by plenty of clubs around Europe, including Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus among others before he joined the Principality club from Sevilla.

And this time around, it will not be any different as after an initial struggle and dip in form, the French international stepped up his game and is now one of Monaco's key players.

Kondogbia has played in 23 games for Monaco this season and his impressive performances have seen him earn a call up to the senior French squad and he has now represented the Les Bleus thrice.

However, the report claims that Liverpool's budget and attracting power will depend on them qualifying for the Champions League, which Rodgers has already admitted are slim, following defeats at the hands of United and Arsenal in recent weeks.

Apart from the Frenchman, report suggest that the Reds boss is interested in signing Manchester City midfielder James Milner, who is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.