According to Italian website calciomercatonews.com Liverpool have made an official bid for Bologna star Gaston Ramirez.

The offer, around £12.5 million, is not thought to be enough to persuade the Italians to sell but is not far short.

Sources in Italy report that a bid of around £14 million plus add ons would be enough to bring the talented wide player to Anfield, who is free to sort out his future now that Uruguay have been eliminated from the Olympics.

Ramirez has been watched by the Reds for the last year and last week his agent visited London for talks with an unnamed Premier League club.

The news coincides with the news that Brendan Rodgers has done a deal with Fiorentina that will see Alberto Aquilani return to Italy in a permanent deal.