Liverpool still keen on Alberto Moreno

Liverpool are pushing ahead with their pursuit of Sevilla full-back Alberto Moreno following Iago Aspas' loan move to the Spanish club.

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Moreno, 22, remains Brendan Rodgers' first-choice left-back target, sources have told ESPN FC, even though the Reds have so far been unable to agree a fee with last season's Europa League winners.

Liverpool had a 16 million-pound offer for the defender rejected at the end of May by Sevilla, who are understood to want more than 20 million pounds.

The Reds had considered offering Aspas in part-exchange in an attempt to reduce the fee.

But with the striker completing a season-long loan move -- with a view to a permanent deal -- to the Spanish side on Monday night, any deal for Moreno will be done separately.

Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre will not overpay for the Spain international, but is exploring the possibility of a compromise having met Sevilla officials earlier this week, primarily to sort out the Aspas deal.

Rodgers wants more options at left-back -- a position that was a problem for him last season due to Jose Enrique's long-term knee injury.

Enrique played through the early weeks of last season with the problem, but managed only 29 minutes of first-team football after Oct. 5, and nothing at all after Nov. 9.

Aly Cissokho -- at the club on an unsuccessful season's loan from Valencia -- failed to make the position his own, and right-back Jon Flanagan moved across to become Enrique's regular stand-in over the second half of the campaign.

Enrique is fit to start preseason -- with Liverpool's opening friendly against Brondby in Denmark on Wednesday -- and is aiming to prove to Rodgers that his injury problems are behind him.

But the Reds boss remains keen on Moreno, who got down to the final 27 for Spain's World Cup squad only to miss the final cut.

Chelsea's Ryan Bertrand is being considered as an alternative should a deal for Moreno fail to materialise.

Meanwhile, there has been no further progress in Liverpool's attempts to sign Southampton centre-back Dejan Lovren.

Lovren is seen by Rodgers as the man to tighten up a Reds defence that conceded 50 Premier League goals last season.

Southampton have rejected a 20 million-pound bid from the Reds, but the Croatia international has made it clear that he wants to leave the club.

However, he did join the Saints at a preseason training camp in Belgium on Sunday, despite reports suggesting that he would go on strike to force through a move.