Liverpool have set their sights on signing Brazilian defender Douglas Franco Teixeira on a free transfer in the summer, according to the Daily Mail. Brendan Rodgers has earmarked the player as replacement for the retiring Jamie Carragher.

Jamie Carragher
Reuters

The Brazilian is out of contract in the summer but Liverpool will face competition from Newcastle who reportedly tried to sign the defender for a fee of £4m last summer. The FC Twente defender has been in good form this season, making 17 starts and scoring four goals in the process.

Brendan Rodgers had previously identified Swansea defender Ashley Williams as the man to marshal the Liverpool defence. However, the report states that Swansea's valuation of the 28-year-old is beyond the manager's reach as he has has to make do with only £25m transfer money to spend in the summer. Joleon Lescott and Mamadou Sakho are among the other players linked with a move to Liverpool but no official contact has been made between the clubs.

The Liverpool manager is reported to be interested in bringing in four new players in the summer, a number which may change depending on Luis Suarez's future at Anfield. The Uruguayan has been linked with a move out of Merseyside but the player has recently come out with a statement saying that he will stay at the club beyond the end of the season.

Gerrard on Carragher and Draw with Everton

Steven Gerrard has come out in support of his retiring team mate Jamie Carragher and insisted that the 35-year-old has been their best player since returning to the side. The Liverpool veteran will retire after the end of the season, bringing an end to a legacy which has lasted for 16 years.

"Of course he's going to be missed. You saw his display today. Since he's been back in the team he's probably been our most consistent player. I wouldn't like to be in Brendan Rodgers's position of trying to replace him," he said.

Liverpool managed to hold Everton to a 0-0 draw at Anfield, which all but ended any hope they had of finishing above their arch rivals this season. The Reds are currently on 55 points, five points behind their Merseyside rivals with only two games to go.

"Everton have improved a lot. They're a good team, difficult to beat. We'll take a point but we're slightly disappointed it wasn't three. That sums up our season, in a way. We've played well but haven't had that cutting edge against the sides above us," he added.