Liverpool have been dealt a blow as January midfield target Ryan Gravenberch is set to stay at Bayern Munich, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What's the word?

Liverpool were linked with a loan move for the Dutchman, who has hardly featured for the club since his summer move from Ajax, but it now appears a deal is impossible.

Jurgen Klopp's side are thought to be in the market for a central midfielder, and a deal for Gravenberch could have strengthened their squad as they look to recover from their current slump during the second half of the season.

But speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that Bayern want to keep the midfielder until the summer at the very least.

He said: "To clarify on Ryan Gravenberch. Some rumours on a potential loan deal to Liverpool or maybe to some other English club from Bayern - the message is pretty clear: Bayern want to keep the player.

"They want to keep Gravenberch, and at least until the end of the season. They trust him, they consider him an important player for their project. Of course, it's not an easy moment for him, an easy first part of the season, but Bayern are convinced that he's going to be a really important player in the future.

"So at the moment, they are not accepting any loan for Gravenberch and Liverpool are not negotiating for him."

Time running out

It is clear that Liverpool need a central midfielder in the January window, but having spent £35m on Cody Gakpo, their options - and room in their transfer budget - remain limited, hence the reported interest in a loan deal.

With less than a week left in the window, the club need to find a solution that can keep them ticking over until the summer, when they could move for high-profile targets such as Jude Bellingham.

They could lose out on Bellingham if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, so any strengthening now could prove crucial.