Liverpool are hopeful of signing Olympique Marseille whizkid Maxime Lopez in the summer. The 16 year-old is rated the brightest prospect in the l'OM youth system and there are high hopes for the teen in France.

However, lephoceen.fr says Liverpool are close to prising Lopez away from Marseille.

Lopez and his family were guests of Liverpool for last month's derby trouncing of Everton and he met with Reds boss Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers made it clear how much he admired the youngster and set out how the likes of Raheem Sterling, Jon Flanagan and Martin Kelly, who all featured against Everton, had benefited from Liverpool's development programme.