LIVERPOOL TRANSFER RUMOURS: Kalou, Martinez, Herrera, Kuyt, Cole Involved In Latest News

It has been reported by Goal.com that the club are interested in securing the signing of Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou on a free transfer. The Ivorian is out of contract in the summer and according to the story, Liverpool is one of more than 12 clubs that are chasing the 26-year-old's signature.

But with Arsenal said to be interested and Kalou getting more game-time at Stamford Bridge of late, Liverpool may struggle to get a deal done.

Despite Andy Carroll's recent dramatic goals against Everton and Blackburn, it is clear that Liverpool need to bolster their attacking options during the close season. One player who the club appear to be targetting to fulfill that requirement is Jackson Martinez.

The Colombian striker has claimed that both Liverpool and Porto are pursuing his signature.

I am not in any advanced negotiations with Liverpool or Porto but I know they are personally interested, Martinez said, according to the Daily Mirror.

I have not spoken to anyone and that goes for my club and my agent. In the next few months thinks should be finalized.

Martinez, who would reportedly cost £4m ($6m), has scored seven goals in 14 games so far in the Mexican Clausura championship for his club Jaguares.

If reports are to be believed, Liverpool's scouts are being kept busy in Mexico, with Pachucha midfielder Hector Herrera claiming that he has met with a scout from Anfield.

I was only introduced to him, he didn't tell me anything specific, Herrera said, according to Goal.com.

Herrera helped the Mexcio under-23 side qualify for the Olympics recently and Pachucha's executive director, Andres Fassi, has said that Liverpool will watch him in the tournament this summer before deciding on a possible transfer.

We have a sort of deal between the two clubs, in that Liverpool would be the first in line should the player emigrate to Europe, Fassi said.

There's no formal offer yet, only interest, no verbal agreement or pre-contract. Liverpool's people came to Mexico on a general scouting trip, there's a declared interest in Herrera.

Their scout was here for four practice sessions and now they want to watch him in the Olympic Games.

And while players are sure to arrive at Anfield this summer, it is also likely that there will be several departures to free up roster space.

One of those individuals is forward Dirk Kuyt. With the player reportedly available for as little as £1 million ($1.6m) this summer, Hamburg have joined Roma and Feyenoord in the race to sign the 31-year-old, according to the Daily Mail.

With opening up space on the wage bill also sure to be a priority, it would appear likely that high-earner Joe Cole will leave the club this summer. And the talented playmaker has said that he would be open to a permanent move to French club Lille, with whom he has spent this season on loan.

I would like to stay here, but it's still too early to say what will happen. Let's see how we finish the season, Cole told L'Equipe, according to Goal.com.

It's not all up to me where I will end up. The board makes the final decision. I have not spoken to anyone from Liverpool yet. The financial issue obviously plays a role, but it's not all that matters for me.