Liverpool have €7m bid rejected for Japanese attacker

Liverpool have had a bid worth €7m (£6m) turned down for Japanese attacker Keito Nakamura, according to a report.

French news outlet Foot Mercato claims the Reds' approach was swiftly rejected by Nakamura's club LASK, with the Austrian Bundesliga side holding out for a club-record €11m (£9.5m) sale to part with their asset.

It is said that Liverpool even offered to loan Nakamura back to the club if they completed a deal for him, but the Austrian club stood firm on their valuation, with the Reds yet to return with an improved offer.

In the mean time, Ligue 1 club LOSC Lille have stolen a march in the race for the highly rated 22-year-old, with the report stating that Nakamura is open to a move to France.

German Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt are also said to be interested, but Lille are in 'pole position' to sign the attacker who scored an impressive 17 goals in all competitions last season.

Prior to his move to Austria, the two-cap Japan international has played for Sint-Truiden in Belgium, Twente in the Netherlands (pictured above) and Gamba Osaka in his homeland.

With Lille currently leading the chase for Nakamura, it remains to be seen if the Reds will re-enter the fray to secure his signature — or if reporting closer to home will back up Foot Mercato's claims of Liverpool's supposed interest.

The Reds likely already have enough firepower up top with Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez all vying for starting spots, while Ben Doak could also get minutes under his belt this season in the UEFA Europa League and the domestic cups.

Liverpool currently have other priorities, as they look to refresh their engine room between now and the end of the summer transfer window. With Jordan Henderson and Fabinho's departures set to be confirmed imminently, Jurgen Klopp and the club hierarchy face a race against time to draft in suitable replacements as they remain locked in talks to sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton.

The Reds had a £37m bid rejected for the 19-year-old midfielder yesterday, but it is believed that the Reds are already planning to return with an improved offer, amid firm interest from Chelsea.

In addition to a new midfielder, it is expected that Liverpool are looking at bringing in another centre back, meaning any interest in Nakamura would be much less of a priority.