Liverpool's extensive summer recruitment programme is increasingly likely to include a cut-price transfer for Porto's Ghanaian international Christian Atsu after a significant breakthrough in negotiations.

The two clubs are in advanced talks and Liverpool are moving in on a deal that would see the 21-year-old winger sign for as little as £3m, on the basis that his contract expires next summer and he has already made it clear that he will not be signing another one.

Atsu, a quick, talented but sometimes erratic winger, was brought into the Porto first-team squad during André Villas-Boas's time at the club and is seen by the Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers, as a player who can offer his team more width and penetration in attack.

While Liverpool's summer is likely to be dominated by Luis Suárez's efforts to move abroad, the Anfield club have provisionally agreed a £7.6m deal for the Celta Vigo striker Iago Aspas as well as signing Kolo Touré as a free agent and putting in place a possible deal for Shakhtar Donetsk's £22m-rated midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Simon Mignolet, the Sunderland goalkeeper, is another target as Pepe Reina contemplates his future on Merseyside, and Atsu's signing would inevitably raise more questions about Stewart Downing's position at the club.

Liverpool have also made a separate bid for the Sevilla midfielder Luis Alberto.