© PA Photos Enlarge Liverpool want to secure a deal for Lallana before the World Cup

Liverpool have made a £20 million bid for Southampton's Adam Lallana as Brendan Rodgers sets about bolstering his squad for an assault on the Champions League.

Rodgers is thought to have been watching Lallana for some time, with the player set to be named on Monday in Roy Hodgson's England squad for next month's World Cup.

Lucas in text SOS to Carroll Andy Carroll left Liverpool for West Ham permanently in the summer © PA Photos Lucas Leiva has told Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing they will be getting motivational texts from him ahead of West Ham's trip to Manchester City on Sunday.

Liverpool need West Ham to beat the league leaders if they are to have any chance of winning the title - and Lucas wants his former Anfield team-mates to do them the ultimate favour.

"We will be texting them before Sunday," Lucas said. "They have been here with us, working with us and I'm sure they will do their best to get points for West Ham and help us. But it's not in our hands.

"We still have to believe that maybe something good is coming."

The manager, trying to move on from his club's impending title chase disappointment, is trying to get in ahead of several other interested Premier League clubs - including Manchester United, reportedly - and wants a deal done before the tournament in Brazil starts on June 12.

He was keen on Friday not to be seen to be commenting on another club's player, but said: "Adam is a terrific young talent... there is always speculation about young talent."

United are said to be ready to give their new manager - widely expected to be Louis van Gaal - up to £200m to spend in this summer's transfer market, but Rodgers believes he can sway the player with the lure of Champions League football.

Speaking on Tuesday as he collected three awards at Southampton's end of season ceremony, Lallana hinted to fans that he wants to stay at Southampton.

"The club means the world to me. I've been here since I was 12 and I want to keep progressing with the club," he said. "I've got a great relationship with the fans. We've been on a journey, and this is the icing on the cake."

However, Lallana could be tempted to move on from the club where he has developed into an international player with the future of manager Mauricio Pochettino and several other players uncertain.

Pochettino, who has just one year left on his deal at St Mary's, is said to be on a three-man shortlist to take over from Tottenham head coach Tim Sherwood at White Hart Lane, with Spurs likely to request to speak to him after Sunday's final round of Premier League games.

Sputhampton's executive director Les Reed has insisted that the club have no need to sell Lallana and left-back Luke Shaw, or to let Pochettino leave, though, with discussions to take place with the manager after the club's last game of the season, at home to Manchester United.

Can Liverpool recover from Monday's heartbreak? Brendan Rodgers' side must remind themselves how far they've come rather than wallow in the wake of their capitulation, writes James Dall .

. Read this week's Premier League Spotlight here

Rodgers will look to convince Southampton otherwise and is likely to have to use a sizeable chunk of the £60m he is set to be given to build on Liverpool's impressive season after five years without Champions League football.

"We will strengthen next year; we will add players to our group and our younger players will have a year's experience," Rodgers told talkSPORT as he assessed Liverpool's season.

"There's no doubt that we need depth in our squad. We move into the Champions League next season and there are going to be a lot of games for us.

"It's always about players that have the technical capacity to play how we want to play, players with personality and players that are hungry. Those will be the three key ingredients for the players coming in."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd