Liverpool are pushing to sign a second centre-back on transfer deadline day.
The £2 million arrival of Preston North End’s homegrown defender Ben Davies is expected to be finalised ahead of Monday’s 11pm deadline.
But Jurgen Klopp’s side remain hopeful of making another backline addition with Ozan Kabak and Duje Caleta-Car both currently the forerunners.
Kabak is a long-term target for the Premier League champions and could arrive from Schalke on an initial loan with an option to buy this summer.
Marseille’s Caleta-Car has been on the Reds’ radar since his time at Red Bull Salzburg and said to possess attributes similar to the injured Virgil van Dijk.
He was previously on the verge of joining West Ham in a £22m switch last summer but instead held out for a team competing in the Champions League.
However both transfers are dependent on their selling clubs sourcing replacements, with the pursuit of Kabak complicated by Germany’s early cut-off.
The Bundesliga’s 5pm deadline leaves Schalke with limited time and options to line up a direct successor for the highly-rated Turkey international.
Davies’ arrival at Anfield will see Dutch teenager Sepp van den Berg heading in the opposite direction to spend the rest of this season on loan at Preston.
Klopp’s late foray into the market was prompted injury to all three of his main centre-backs with Joel Matip joining Van Dijk and Joe Gomez on the sidelines.
Liverpool have deployed a combination of makeshift options in defence this season including a partnership of midfielders Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.