Liverpool are being encouraged to make concrete their interest for Napoli attacking midfielder Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Naples sources say the Azzurri are ready to cash in on the Argentine to fund their own plans to sign Udinese star striker Fabio Quagliarella.

Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis confirmed last week an offer had been delivered by Liverpool intermediaries for Lavezzi - which he immediately rejected.

Since then, however, Reds boss Rafa Benitez is understood to be having second thoughts over Lavezzi due to doubts of his ability to handle the physical nature of Premiership football.