Liverpool are still trying to sign Fabio Carvalho despite the dramatic deadline-day collapse of their proposed move for the Fulham teenager.
The Reds had agreed a fee with the Cottagers for attacking midfielder Carvalho, who is out of contract at the end of the season, just hours before the 11pm cut-off point on Monday evening.
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Liverpool then faced a race against time to negotiate personal terms, complete the player's medical and lodge the appropriate paperwork.
However, the deal came unstuck over Fulham's insistence the 19-year-old returned on loan to Craven Cottage for the remainder of the season.
While the Reds happily agreed to the request, that the EFL does not allow 'deal sheets' meant the loan part of the transfer wasn't concluded in time before the deadline.
It means Carvalho will spend the rest of the campaign at Fulham before becoming a free agent in the summer.
Liverpool, though, are now clear favourites to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with the teenager in the hope of signing him in any case at the end of the season.
A player looking to move from one English team to another as a free agent can only open talks after entering the final month of their contract.
The Reds would also have to pay Fulham a compensation fee due to them having developed the player.
But if they can agree a fee, it would mean they can avoid the lengthy tribunal process the clubs went through when Harvey Elliott moved from Craven Cottage to Anfield in 2019.
