Liverpool Set to Beat Arsenal in Race for Jamaal Lascelles - Report

Liverpool are planning a move for Nottingham Forest defender Jamaal Lascelles with Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton also keeping a keen eye on the player, according to the Daily Express.

Brendan Rodgers had sent scouts to watch the player in Forest's 0-0 draw with Preston in the Championship last week and are preparing a bid for the defender in the final few days of the transfer window.

However, the Reds were unable to run their rule on the player as he stayed on the bench, with Forest putting in a fine defensive performance in his absence.

The former Swansea manager is in the market for a defender, with the likes of Mamadou Sakho and Daniel Agger out due to injury, and is looking to strengthen his squad as he looks to push for a top four spot.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have also stepped up their interest in the player after having a £5m bid rejected in 2011.

The Gunners are short at centre-back with only Thomas Vermaelen available for cover for the formidable centre-back pairing of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny.

Lascelles's arrival will allow Wenger to rest his best defenders for the big games, which are set to come thick and fast before March, with the Gunners playing all teams in the top seven during that period, along with a double header against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Meanwhile, Rodgers has bemoaned his owners' reluctance to back him in the transfer market and help his side secure a Champions League spot. The Reds missed out on signing Mohamed Salah from Basel as the Egypt international moved to Chelsea and are yet to make a substantial move in the market.

"Of course, I wanted to strengthen the team and if we are unable to do that it would be disappointing, but there's nothing you can do about it. I think, yes, absolutely, we are so close to our aim of the Champions League and we should do everything we can to get there – and the owners feel like that as well," he said.

"The people in the club see where we are at. I've always felt with this team that we would need to have everyone available to keep us in it, but if they are not we'll still have to find ways to win games," he concluded.