Liverpool Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Jose Maria Gimenez, Mamadou Sakho

Reported Liverpool transfer target Jose Maria Gimenez could be leaving his current club Atletico Madrid, while Crystal Palace have shifted their focus toward more affordable targets following the Reds' refusal to budge from their £30 million asking price for Mamadou Sakho.

According to AS (via Daily Star's Marc Williams), Inter Milan are the current favourites to sign Gimenez, who saw his role diminish in the Spanish capital last season and is weighing up his future.

The 22-year-old lost his spot as an automatic starter alongside compatriot Diego Godin, making just 12 starts in La Liga. Stefan Savic was the preferred option in defence, and with Lucas Hernandez knocking on the door, his playing time could take even more hits moving forward.

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Manchester United have also been linked with the youngster, who has long been touted as a top talent at the centre-back position.

A move for the Uruguay international would be complicated by Atletico's current transfer ban. The club has some depth at the position but would be unable to bring in reinforcements should Gimenez leave this summer.

As a result, Los Rojiblancos are likely to hold out for a huge transfer fee, and the Reds are more likely to address their defensive needs elsewhere.

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Liverpool could raise some additional capital with the sale of Sakho, but per the London Evening Standard's Giuseppe Muro, Crystal Palace will not cough up the £30 million required.

According to the report, manager Frank de Boer has already turned his attention toward other targets. Palace's January outlay of nearly £40 million means the club have a limited budget this summer, and while Sakho did a wonderful job for the club in the second half of last season, Palace can't afford to blow what will be a large chunk of their budget on one player.

While a permanent transfer of the France international seems almost inevitable after he was frozen out of the squad last season, it's worth noting he's been training for next season at Melwood:

Few expect the former Paris Saint-Germain man to get another chance under manager Jurgen Klopp, but his dedication―the start of the new season is well over a month away―could buy him some much-needed credit.