Liverpool To Step Up Vucinic Chase

Liverpool are ready to offer Roma's wantaway striker Mirko Vucinic an escape route in January, according to reports in Italy. Montenegro international Vucinic, 27, has reportedly clashed with Roma manager Claudio Ranieri in recent weeks and reacted badly to being substituted after only 57 minutes of the goalless draw against Parma at the weekend. Vucinic, who recently hit the headlines with a bizarre goal celebration where he took his shorts off and put them on his head after scoring on international duty with Montenegro, is contracted to Roma until 2013. He is currently valued at around £16.5m but reports in Italy have suggested that Vucinic is available for a cut- price £13m because he is unhappy, with Liverpool interested in the striker. Reds boss Roy Hodgson has been short of options up front this season and is bidding to buy a forward in January to ease the burden on Fernando Torres.