Udinese ace Pizarro tops Pool hit–list

ITALIAN outfit Udinese have confirmed that Liverpool are chasing their Chilean midfield ace David Pizarro.

And another Anfield target, Portuguese youngster Cristiano Roberto, insists he would love to play alongside Michael Owen.

Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier has also been linked with Hamburg’s Iranian winger Mehdi Mahdavikia and Inter Milan’s French international midfielder Stephane Dalmat, but Pizarro could well be top of the Anfield hit-list.

Udinese director of sport Piepaolo Marino has admitted Liverpool have inquired about 23-year-old Pizarro, who scored seven goalsin 31 games in Serie A and helped fire his club into the UEFA Cup.

Marino said: “Juventus, Lazio, Parma and Liverpool are the teams who want him, and things will be unblocked in July.”

Houllier still has hopes that the transfer situations involving Damien Duff or Djibril Cisse could change during the summer.

But the Anfield boss has shown interest in Sporting Lisbon’s 18-year-old forward Ronaldo, who has been playing for Portugal in the Toulon tournament this week.