Sporting Lisbon are planning to offer defender Tiago Ilori a contract extension in an effort to deflect interest from Liverpool, reports suggest.

Brendan Rodgers has reportedly been impressed with the potential shown by the 20-year-old this season, and is ready to make an offer in the region of €1.5 to €2.5 million for the centre half this summer.

But despite Sporting's reputation for having their brightest stars taken from them by bigger European clubs at a young age, the club have no intention of cashing in on Ilori and will instead offer the defender an improved contract in a bid to keep him at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, according to Abola.

Tiago Ilori
Liverpool target Ilori may be offered a new deal by Sporting. (Reuters)

Following Jamie Carragher's announcement that he will retire at the end of the season, Rodgers outlined his plans to bolster his defensive options, with doubts still lingering over the futures of Sebastian Coates and Martin Skrtel who are out of favour with the manager.

Although Andre Wisdom and Martin Kelly, who will return for the Reds for next season, will be vying to fill the hole vacated by Carragher, the Northern Irish manager will still be keen to add to his squad.

While the club are unlikely to be deterred by the defender's paltry price tag, Sporting's eagerness to cling onto the highly rated Ilori may complicate matters. The 20-year-old is currently contracted until 2015, but in a move spearheaded by new club president Bruno Carvalho, the club will attempt to tie the Portugal Under-20 international down to a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2017 or 2018, Abola report.

After making his debut last campaign, London-born Ilori has begun to assert himself on the Sporting XI in the latter half of this season, appearing in the club's last nine fixtures, including high profile games against Benfica and Porto.

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