Liverpool will have to pay in excess of £70million if they want to prise winger Yankuba Minteh away from Brighton.
The Reds remain locked in talks with the Seagulls over a move for the Gambia international having had a second bid - believed to be in the region of £60m - turned down.
The South Coast side value the 22-year-old at more than £70m and are steadfast on not allowing one of their most prized assets to leave at anything resembling a cut-price deal.
Reds seek right-wing reinforcement
Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola reiterated earlier on Friday the need for further reinforcements in attack with the Reds having yet to fill the hole on the right wing that was left by Mohamed Salah departing on a free transfer in the summer.
Minteh was one of several players on a shortlist the Reds had drawn up at the start of the transfer window as they looked to bolster their options on either flank.
They were willing to spend £86m on Ivory Coast international Yan Diomande only for the right winger to ultimately leave RB Leipzig for Real Madrid in a deal in excess of £100m.
Alternative targets and Brighton's stance
The Reds remain keen on signing Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain but have shown no appetite of meeting the asking price believed to be in the region of £130m-£140m.
And the pursuit of Minteh means they are unlikely to follow up their exploratory interest in PSG teenager Ibrahim Mbaye.
Asked on Friday about the importance of Minteh, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler said: “We know in general all the players there are rumours about, they are important players for us because they’re a big part of the journey the last two years.
“In football, you have to understand, it’s normal if you’re successful as a team, if the team is doing well, they’ve had some good achievements, then an individual can shine. Then of course there will be a big ask for our players, that’s part of our identity and part of my job here.
“It was clear for everyone this might happen during a busy transfer window. We can go through every individual player, we all know how important these kinds of players are for me, but we also know that good achievements, big achievements, especially in the Premier League, you create offers, you create a lot of attention.”
