Last updated on .From the section Football

Rodgers hails 'outstanding' Liverpool

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is hopeful of signing Dnipro's Ukraine winger Yevhen Konoplyanka before Friday's deadline.

The 24-year-old emerged as Liverpool's main target after a proposed deal to sign Basel's Mohamed Salah ended with the forward joining Chelsea for £11m.

Reports in Ukraine suggest talks on a deal worth about £15m are going well.

"We are working together and hopefully we can have a major signing in before the window closes," said Rodgers.

Konoplyanka has won 35 caps for Ukraine and scored at Wembley in a 1-1 draw against England in September 2012.

Millennium bug Liverpool are now unbeaten in the last 14 Premier League Merseyside derbies at Anfield, with Everton's last away win coming courtesy of a Kevin Campbell goal in 1999

Two goals from Daniel Sturridge and one apiece for Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez saw Liverpool thrash their Merseyside rivals 4-0 at Anfield on Tuesday to move three points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham and four ahead of Everton in sixth.

Following the win, Rodgers defended Liverpool's transfer policy after Salah instead chose Chelsea.

He also insisted he had not fallen out with senior management.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," said Rodgers.

"I came here because of the collective effort to try and turn the club's fortunes around and the owners have been brilliant.

"The people behind the scenes are working very, very hard and we are not always going to get the players we want for a number of reasons. The people here are very important to what we are trying to do.

"If we can get someone in before the window closes we can then set up for the remaining games this season."