Journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Liverpool are not currently in the race to sign Manuel Ugarte this summer.
What is the latest Liverpool transfer news?
As evidenced by the upcoming departures of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, it's well-known that the Reds are looking to sign some new midfielders this summer.
And Ugarte of Sporting CP has been one name linked in recent times. For example, according to a report from Le Parisien (via Sport Witness), Liverpool are prepared to trigger the player's €60 million (£52m) release clause at the end of the season.
However, while talking about this significant claim on his YouTube channel, Romano has stated something contrary to those reports.
Indeed, the journalist has stated that only Chelsea and PSG are currently close to getting a deal done with Jurgen Klopp's men not in contention right now.
He explained (5:11): "Jorge Mendes, it's him on this deal for Manuel Ugarte. The discussions are taking place.
"The player's position will be crucial. So Ugarte has got to make a decision between Premier League or PSG. Let's see how it will evolve.
"Liverpool are not in the race in this moment. It is Chelsea and PSG. It's up to the player. It's also up to Sporting to decide the best proposal for them, and also to see if some players could be included in the deal – to help reach an agreement.
"For example, Chelsea have many players to offload. Same for PSG. This is something that could be discussed with Sporting in the next days and weeks."
Who wants to sign Ugarte?
This will certainly come as a blow for Liverpool as they may be close to signing Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton but they probably need more than one new player to come in with Keita, Milner and Oxlade-Chamberlain leaving.
What's more, Ugarte could have been a top signing for the Reds, having been described by journalist Jacque Talbot in his article for Sporting Life as a "mentality monster with great guile and physical attributes", while also being tipped as a long-term replacement for Fabinho in the middle of the park at Anfield.
With that in mind, it's no shock that other clubs are chasing the 22-year-old player. And it sounds as though PSG and Chelsea are both further along with this deal, which does suggest that Liverpool perhaps have their eyes on alternative targets.
It'll certainly be interesting to see who else they target if they do sign Mac Allister but Ugarte heads elsewhere.