Reds to make formal approach for Roy

The following story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club:

Liverpool will make a formal approach for Roy Hodgson to become their new manager within the next 48 hours.

The Fulham boss is the clear front-runner from a short list drawn up by Kop legend Kenny Dalglish and MD Christian Purslow, to be presented to the Anfield board this week.

The club's directors are certain to give the green light to make Hodgson their official target within the next two days, and approach his London club with an offer of compensation to make him the next Liverpool manager.

Former Inter Milan boss Hodgson has a one-year rolling contract with the Craven Cottage outfit, negotiated at the start of the just completed season. Crucially, it contains a clause which allows him to leave to join a top club for a compensation figure of around £2.5million.

The experienced coach has maintained a diplomatic silence over Liverpool interest in recent days, but he has made clear his desire to have one last opportunity with one of the Premier League's leading clubs.

Dalglish and Purslow have pinpointed six key qualities they require in their choice to succeed Rafa Benitez, and Hodgson is the candidate who ticks all the boxes.

His massive experience in Europe and extensive contacts within UEFA aligned to his winning record and diplomatic skills make him an attractive choice in a time of deep uncertainty at Anfield, as the club's American owners insufferably draw out the plan to sell their holding.

The other leading candidate on the short-list is Bayern Munich's Louis Van Gaal, but both Dalglish and Purslow recognise the difficulty in prising him away from the German champions, and Hodgson will be their first port of call.

No timescale has been set on the process of replacing Benitez, but sources within the club suggest that an appointment is imminent with the new man destined to be in place before the end of the month.

Hodgson has a contract to work for the BBC as pundit during the World Cup in South Africa, but he will be happy to break off from commentating to conclude any negotiations with the Anfield board, and will be in position to identify potential transfer targets.

Fulham want to keep their manager after he steered them to the UEFA Cup final in May, but Liverpool will not try to haggle and will meet the compensation figure in Hodgson's contract, meaning the London club will have no option but to allow him to leave.

The payment to Fulham will not prove too much of a barrier for Liverpool, not least because they are about to receive a similar level of compensation from Inter Milan for the Anfield backroom staff who are set to join Benitez in Italy.

He has negotiated to take several of his trusted lieutenants with him, including his Reds first team coach Mauricio Pellegrino, fitness coach Paco de Miguel and keeper coach Xavi Valero.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club: