COMMENT: Switch off the laptop, Brendan. Keep the Moneyball software shelved.
If Liverpool are to land Manchester City pair Edin Dzeko and James Milner, it will mean owners FSG abandoning their 'sell on value' stand.
Milner, while a Bosman prospect, is 29 and will insist on a long-term deal to move to Anfield. Dzeko is the same age and with three years left on his contract, Liverpool won't see any change from £25 million.
The Reds need to get both deals done quickly. If there's any chance of Raheem Sterling being convinced to stay, Rodgers needs the pair through the Shankly Gates as soon as possible. The manager needs to show Sterling, who has become alarmed at the dismantling of last season's title challenging team, that Liverpool will rise again.
Plenty has been said about Milner and what he will bring to Liverpool. The drive, the leadership, the winning mentality... if Milner can be persuaded, his arrival would go some way to filling the massive void Steven Gerrard leaves from next week.
Reds fans will remember last season's spectacular 3-2 win over City in April. That opening half-hour which blew away City was perhaps the best football Liverpool have played under Rodgers. City's players were left ragged, but still managed to almost nick a point thanks to the efforts of Milner. Off the bench after just five minutes of the second-half, it was basically Liverpool v Milner. He charged about, taking on Liverpool's gang tackling single handed. While teammates wilted under the Reds storm, Milner stood strong. It was a performance that must have contributed to Rodgers' decision to now move for him.
If Milner's arrival is to plug gaps and lift standards, then Dzeko's would be something much, much more. The Bosnian would be a transformative transfer - and not just for Liverpool FC.
At £25 million and with his reputation, Dzeko would arrive as the biggest signing of Rodgers' career. Listen to his critics and there remain doubts the Ulsterman can handle senior players, with big reputations and personalities.
But if he can convince Dzeko about joining Liverpool. And the pair of them can make it work. It could be a defining deal in Rodgers' career.
Premier League fans haven't seen the very best of Dzeko over his four years with City. Even last season's title wining campaign, where he finished with 26 goals, Dzeko still was overshadowed by Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure. At Liverpool, it will be the complete opposite. There will be no bigger name on the books. He will have the first-choice status he's craved and with a club every bit as big as the one he's left.
When Dzeko and his agent, Irfan Redzepagic, sit down to consider Liverpool's offer, they should be encouraged by Rodgers' pursuit of Burnley striker Danny Ings.
Studying Rodgers' forward structure this season, it's understandable if Dzeko has concerns. The Bosnian, while capable of foraging a lone role, is at his best playing alongside a strike-partner. With Rodgers all but admitting he's planning for next season without Daniel Sturridge, his move for Ings - along with the arrival Divock Origi - should reassure Dzeko that this season's system of one (and sometimes no) man upfront will be shelved.
In contrast to his City experience alongside Aguero, Dzeko will see roles reversed with Liverpool. Whether it's Ings, Sturridge or Origi, he'll be the main man - something he hasn't been since his days with VfL Wolfsburg.
It was alongside Grafite at Wolfsburg where Dzeko made his reputation. The duo scored the most Bundesliga goals in a single season as a strike-pair. You wouldn't know it from his support role at City, but we're talking about a player who has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or and won Player of the Year in Germany.
This is what Dzeko can bring to Anfield next season - and why Jose Mourinho wants him at Chelsea to replace Didier Drogba.
But it's Liverpool, so desperate for new heroes, where Dzeko can restore his reputation - and help rebuild Rodgers' fading team.
