Liverpool target Davide Astori has moved a step closer to joining leaving Cagliari for Serie A rivals Lazio after the two clubs put together a swap deal.
The Italy centre-half is being chased by clubs dotted around Europe but Cagliari’s desire to land either Danilo Cataldi, Milos Antic or Mamadou Tounkara from the Rome giants is likely to put his other suitors out of the running, according to Il Messaggero.
A source close to Anfield told Football Express News the Reds are still anxious to strengthen the heart of their defence and Astori is high on the wishlist, but he is unlikely to arrive on Merseyside unless the Lazio deal falls through.
Fiorentina and Napoli are, according to the latest report, also interested in the coveted 27-year-old, who has only 12 months remaining on his current contract, with no sign of an extension.
He is likely to fetch somewhere in the region of £5million for Cagliari, who seem resigned to losing the player and have already turned their attention to rebuilding without him.
Astori, who started his career with San Siro giants AC Milan, has picked up seven caps for his country but missed out on a place in their World Cup squad despite an impressive 2013-14 campaign.