Liverpool are preparing to allow Lucas Leiva to leave for Inter Milan next month.
The Serie A giants have enquired about whether the Brazilian would be permitted to spend the remainder of the current season with them on loan from the Reds.
Lucas is currently the longest-serving player in Jurgen Klopp’s squad but has found his first-team playing opportunities increasingly limited this term.
The 29-year-old is behind a plethora of midfield options, including captain Jordan Henderson, Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum, among others.
Opportunities in defence, where he had operated a makeshift centre-back, are similarly limited with Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren forming a first-choice pairing.
But Inter have identified Lucas as their preferred option despite exploring the option of signing John Obi Mikel from Chelsea and Marseile’s Lassana Diarra.