Liverpool manager Arne Slot has missed out on his primary transfer target Martin Zubimendi after the player decided to stay at Real Sociedad.
The 25-year-old Euro 2024 winner with Spain had been identified as the priority to fill the defensive midfield role in what would have been the first major signing of the summer for new head coach Slot.
It is understood Zubimendi has a buy-out clause of £51.6million but after expressing their interest it is understood the player has rebuffed the approach after initially suggesting he was open to a move.
Liverpool's new sporting director Richard Hughes was informed of the decision on Monday evening after Sociedad launched a charm offensive in an attempt to get the player to stay.
The defensive midfield role is a position which has been in need of strengthening since the departure of Fabinho 12 months ago.
Japan international Wataru Endo was brought in from Stuttgart late in the window last August for £16million but the now 31-year-old was only viewed as a short-term solution.
Alexis Mac Allister was deployed in the number six position for most of last season and last month Liverpool rejected a £12million bid from Marseille for Endo.
Slot has used a number of players in the position in pre-season – Ryan Gravenberch and Endo did the job in Sunday's friendlies against Sevilla and Las Palmas respectively while Curtis Jones, Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were also deployed in the position during games on the tour of the United States.
After Sunday's matches, Slot appeared to have made up his mind, saying: "I have quite a good idea which player suits there at this moment.
"But we are only one week working together with some players. Sometimes you feel this is the best number six but then the combination with the other two might not work out that well.
"But it's not to say the ones who played will play next week or the weeks after."
Meanwhile, Brentford have completed the signing of Liverpool forward Fabio Carvalho on a five-year contract.
The 21-year-old will initially cost the Bees £22.5million with a further £5million in add-ons, with Liverpool also entitled to a 17.5 percent sell-on fee for a player they bought from Fulham for £5million two years ago.
Carvalho's contract also includes an additional one-year extension option.
"Fabio is a player with a lot of qualities. He can play in all of the front three or four positions in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1. His best position is probably as a number 10 or coming in from the left," head coach Thomas Frank told the club's website.
"Offensively, he has great abilities on the ball: he can go past players, slide a pass, create chances and get on the end of chances. He's a type of player that we don't have many of in the squad so he will add that something extra for us.
"His ability and mentality to work hard in the pressure is also very, very good.
"That's along with him ticking all the boxes from a cultural perspective and being the right character. So we're very pleased to see him come in and push the team forward."
Carvalho spent last season on loan at RB Leipzig and then Hull, where he scored nine goals in 20 appearances.
