Liverpool Transfer News: Jerome Sinclair Contract Snub, Fresh Shane Long Rumours

Jerome Sinclair has reportedly rejected Liverpool's offer of a new deal and will leave the club when his current contract expires at the end of the 2015-16 season.

The young striker is eager to "explore the possibility of a move to Spain" and thus snubbed the offer of signing an extended deal at Anfield, per Simon Stone of BBC Sport. Sinclair, 19, joined Liverpool as a 14-year-old from West Bromwich Albion.

Per Stone, he became the youngest player to turn out for the club when he debuted in the League Cup in 2012 and netted his first senior goal earlier this month against Exeter City in the FA Cup.

It was an opportunistic, striker's finish and illustrated a sharpness that has been often lacking from many of Liverpool's forward players in the current campaign, per BT Sport Football:

However, the Reds are seemingly not going to have the opportunity to cultivate the youngster's obvious talent.

Per Matt Law in the Telegraph, he had been linked with a January move to Watford, but it now seems more likely he will leave on a free transfer in the summer. 

While he was given an opportunity in the FA Cup, Premier League minutes have been hard to come by for Sinclair. Per WhoScored.com, he has not appeared at all in the English top flight this season, and he clearly wants a move that will bring him more playing opportunities.

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Elsewhere, the Merseyside outfit have reportedly had an approach for Southampton striker Shane Long "rebuffed," per Alex Crook in the Mirror.

The report indicates Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was eyeing an £8 million move for Long, but the south-coast club are not going to let him go, with chairman Ralph Krueger eager to see the squad stay together in January:

"

Players coming in and out of here in the last two weeks of the transfer window is not in the plan. I would never say never on either direction because it’s the nature of the sport; you don’t know what opportunities present themselves.

At the moment we are pleased with the depth and Ronald has shown we have different line-ups. Ideally we would be to keep all those names in the line-up.

"

Southampton will reportedly only consider selling Long if Liverpool return with a bid of at least £12 million, per Duncan Wright in the Sun.

The news of Saints' refusal to let Long go in January will come as good news for former Red Danny Murphy, who strongly rejected the idea of signing the Republic of Ireland international, per the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast (via TalkSport's Joe Moore).

"Shane Long? Really?! No, no, no, no, no. There’s no point bringing in players who aren’t better than what you’ve already got. Would you suggest Long is a better player than Benteke? I don’t think so," Murphy said.

Liverpool lost 1-0 to archrivals Manchester United on Sunday and were largely ineffective in attack.

Forwards Roberto Firmino and Christian Benteke are worryingly inconsistent, Daniel Sturridge is still a fitness concern, and Liverpool could do with an effective attacking addition in January.

Long has experience in the Premier League and has netted five goals in 14 appearances this season, per WhoScored.

The addition of a player such as Bayern Munich's Mario Gotze would be a more exciting prospect for Reds fans, although Bleacher Report's Dean Jones has rejected the idea of such a move in January:

Klopp has work to do with his squad and may yet make some attacking additions in the current transfer window, but Long is looking set to stay on the south coast.