Liverpool given £12.5m asking price for Luuk De Jong

Liverpool will have to pay at least £12.5m to sign FC Twente striker Luuk De Jong, according to the Metro.

The player has caught the eye of Reds boss Kenny Dalglish after scoring 23 goals in 29 games for the Dutch outfit so far this season, as the Scot looks for a prolific striker to play alongside Luis Suarez.

Twente manager Steve McClaren is well aware of the increasing interest in the 21-year-old and has moved quickly to slap a big sum on the player's price tag.

However this won't be a problem for Dalglish, who is thought to have been given a £20m transfer kitty for the summer.

Newcastle United are also thought to be interested in De Jong but their interest depends on whether Demba Ba stays at the Magpies.