Atalanta BC head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has insisted that Liverpool target Teun Koopmeiners will not be leaving the club in January.
The Reds have recently been credited with an interest in the 24-year-old midfielder, with Jurgen Klopp keen to bolster his options in the middle of the pitch.
After spending four years with Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar, Koopmeiners joined Atalanta in the summer of 2021 for a fee in the region of €12m (£10.6m).
The deep-lying midfielder has since developed into a key player under Gasperini, scoring eight goals in 58 appearances across all competitions.
Koopmeiners was also a member of Louis van Gaal's Netherlands squad at the 2022 World Cup, featuring in all five of their matches in Qatar and providing an assist in their quarter-final defeat to eventual winners Argentina.
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Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claims that Liverpool have sent scouts to watch Koopmeiners on several occasions over the last 12 months ahead of making a potential bid for the midfielder.
However, Atalanta boss Gasperini has since revealed that "Koopmeiners won't move in January" as quoted by Tutto Atalanta.
The Serie A club have already allowed playmaker Ruslan Malinovsky to leave the club this month, with the Ukrainian joining Marseille on loan with an obligation to buy for an initial €10m, and they have no intention of letting any more of their key players leave.
Koopmeiners, who is under contract at Atalanta until June 2025, recently admitted that he is flattered to learn of interest from Liverpool.
"I saw the links and stories about Liverpool," the Dutchman told reporters via The Guardian. "Nice to see that but I'm 100% focused on Atalanta, I'm so happy to play here."
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Liverpool are now expected to switch their attention to other targets on their midfield shortlist, including Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo.
The 21-year-old Ecuador international has allegedly informed friends of his desire to move to Anfield, and the midfielder could be available for an initial fee of £60m.
However, Liverpool could face stern competition from Chelsea who are now managed by Caicedo's former boss Graham Potter.
Klopp's side have also been credited with an interest in Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, although the 19-year-old is unlikely to leave the German club in January.
Benfica's Enzo Fernandez, Borussia Monchengladbach's Kouadio Kone and Valencia's Yunus Musah have also been linked with a possible transfer to Anfield.
Oliver Thomas
