Liverpool will not sign a direct replacement for Philippe Coutinho in the January window though are exploring bringing forward their deal for Naby Keita, according to reports.
The Brazilian completed a £145m move to Barcelona over the weekend, becoming the third most expensive player in history in the process – and the biggest Premier League sale ever.
But, according to The Telegraph, Liverpool do not intend to pursue a deal for either Monaco’s Thomas Lemar or Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez in the coming days.
Instead, Jurgen Klopp’s preference is to bring forward the club’s deal for Keita, with the Reds already having secured a £57m fee for the RB Leipzig midfielder in July.
He has effectively been on loan at the Bundesliga club since then, but Liverpool believe there is a chance they can sign him now if they pay an additional fee despite Leipzig’s reluctance to allow him to leave early.
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Leipzig are already out of the Champions League while Bayern Munich are once again running away with the Bundesliga, while Keita is keen to move to Anfield as soon as possible.
If an early deal for Keita cannot be secured, Klopp has little desire to be proactive in the January window and will instead save his bolstered transfer kitty for the summer.
He is happy with the options he already has in Coutinho’s position, with Adam Lallana returning to full fitness after a long injury layoff and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain improving all the time.
Liverpool have been heavily linked with both Lemar and Mahrez, though Klopp will resist making a move for either player at this time, especially with Monaco and Leicester likely to demand inflated fees.
More: Liverpool FC
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