Liverpool have not made an approach to sign Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Speaking on Kick, Romano said that the Reds are not currently pursuing the Portuguese international, with a transfer in January dependent on Fulham dropping their sizeable valuation:

“For Palhinha, at the moment, Liverpool have not activated any concrete contact. Palhinha is in the list of many clubs. He could be very expensive – the price tag going to be crucial. If Fulham believe they will let him go only for €75m (£64m) or €80m (£69m) it’s going to be difficult for Arsenal, Bayern, all these clubs.”

“If they can accept a different kind of fee, I think there’s a very good chance for Palhinha to leave in the January transfer window. His priority remains to leave in January.”

Palhinha does not fit the profile of player that Liverpool usually go after

The fact that the Fulham midfielder will be 29 next summer means the Reds are highly unlikely to pursue his signature, especially when his asking price is so high.

Jurgen Klopp’s side may have brought in Wataru Endo from Stuttgart, who is 30 years of age, but the fact that he only cost £16m made the deal worth doing

Signing a centre-back is set to be the top priority

Following the news that Joel Matip will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury, a decision will have to be made on whether the Reds pursue a replacement.

On the face of it, the Merseyside club do have sufficient cover, with Joe Gomez, Jarell Quansah and Ibrahima Konate all available to play alongside captain Virgil van Dijk if required.

Bringing in a young centre-half for Matip has been on the agenda for a while, though, so you can’t completely rule out Liverpool making a move in January.

Does Klopp know his best Liverpool XI? Watch our pundits discuss the issue on Shots!TV here