Liverpool have rejected an offer worth about £15m from Southampton for Fabio Carvalho.
It is believed Southampton have had a long-standing interest in the 21-year-old forward, but their bid falls significantly short of what the Reds would want to sanction a permanent move.
Carvalho has impressed during Liverpool’s pre-season tour in the United States, having scored in wins against Arsenal and Manchester United.
New Liverpool manager Arne Slot believes he can use him in his 4-2-3-1 formation unless a substantial offer convinces Liverpool to sell.
With the amount of players joining up late with his squad, Slot has been able to asses his young players and Carvalho, along with defender Sepp van den Berg, have stood out.
However, Carvalho may still find first-team opportunities limited when the rest of the Premier League club’s players, including forwards Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, return from extended breaks after the Copa America and Euro 2024.
Other clubs have also expressed an interest in Carvalho, who spent last season on loan at RB Leipzig and Hull City.
He scored nine goals in 20 games for the Tigers and another loan move would be considered a last resort.