Liverpool are understood to still be engaged in the pursuit of summer target Lorenzo Pellegrini who had been eyed by Jurgen Klopp’s camp.
The AS Roma midfield man had been a top name on the shopping list in this summer’s transfer window for Liverpool who were seeking a replacement for the outgoing Gini Wijnaldum.
Reports from The Liverpool Echo have now suggested that Pellegrini is holding out on penning a new deal with the Italian outfit beyond the next summer in which his stay at the club comes to a close and the likes of Liverpool and FC Barcelona have been keeping tabs on him.
Roma boss Jose Mourinho is confident that his skipper and first-team regular will agree on extended terms with the club but that has not stopped Liverpool from pulling the plug on a potential deal for the Italy international.
Jurgen Klopp has been backed to bring in a fresh face for his midfield department sooner rather than later in the aftermath of losing the long-serving Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain this summer.