The San Siro has proven to be a fertile hunting ground for Brendan Rodgers in his time at Liverpool.

The signing of Philippe Coutinho from Inter in January 2013 marked the beginning of a turning point for the Reds when, along with fellow winter arrival Daniel Sturridge, the Brazilian sparked some life into the team, helping to complete Rodgers' puzzle at Anfield.

Rodgers could return to the same stadium for some more business this summer, if reports are to be believed. talkSPORT's Transfer Spotlight takes a look at Mateo Kovacic, who is being linked with a move to Merseyside...

Name: Mateo Kovacic
Date of birth: May 6, 1994
Birthplace: Linz, Austria
Position: Midfielder
Club: Inter
International appearances: 8 (Croatia)
Honours: Croatian League (x2)

What's the latest?
Though handed the No.10 shirt at Inter when he arrived at the San Siro in January 2013, Kovacic has struggled to tie down a regular place in the team, starting only 13 games for the Nerazzurri this season. His situation isn't entirely dissimilar to that of Coutinho during his time in Italy, with both considered huge talents but not playing as regularly for Inter as would perhaps be expected. The Italian press claim Liverpool could offer up to €20m for the midfielder, a figure that could be too much for Inter to refuse.

Did you know?

1) Kovacic started playing for LASK Linz in Austria, before moving with his parents to Zagreb at the age of 13, where he joined Dinamo's academy.

2) In November 2010, Kovacic made his professional debut for Dinamo Zagreb, scoring in the same game against Hrvatski Dragovoljac. He would go on to play 73 games for the Croatian side, winning two league titles.

3) The midfielder signed a four-year deal with Inter in January 2013, and was handed Wesley Sneijder's number ten shirt with the club, a sign of the great expectations Inter had for the Croatian. Kovacic has yet to match the Dutchman's brilliance with Inter, however, with manager Walter Mazzarri clearly not considering him a starting player.

4) Though versatile and capable of playing in multiple positions ranging from deep in the midfield to behind the striker, Kovacic prefers to play in front of the back four, driving forward with the ball at his feet in order to spot a killer pass. A good dribbler, there are, however. some doubts over his work-rate off the ball.

5) An experienced youth international with Croatia, Kovacic made his senior debut on March 22, 2013, playing the entirety of a 2-0 home victory over Serbia.

He says
"Italian football is very difficult, you don't get as much space as in England or Spain, but you learn so many things, such as defending and in the tactical sense. Mazzarri talks to me a lot, he knows I'm good with the ball, but I need to figure out how to move without it." Kovacic speaking with Gazzetta dello Sport.

Source: talkSPORT