Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp met with the agent of Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat in an attempt to land the Moroccan international in the January transfer window.
The Reds have already been credited with an interest in the holding midfielder, while it is suggested that he could be open to leaving the Italian club in order to satisfy his desire of playing in the Champions League. Klopp has prioritised bolstering Liverpool's midfield.
However, Liverpool's attempts to land Amrabat appear to have been unsuccessful with the 26-year-old instead believed to be closing in on a move to Atletico Madrid, according to Foot Mercato. The player has already spoken of his admiration for the Spanish club and their boss Diego Simeone.
Speaking to Marca last month, Amrabat explained when asked about Atleti's interest in him: "It is a great honour to be associated with these sorts of clubs. Right now I'm playing for Fiorentina. I have a lot of respect for my club, it's a great team.
"I have a great coach and a wonderful relationship with the owner Rocco Commisso, who brought me to Fiorentina, and with Joe Barone (General Manager of the club) and Daniele Prade (Sporting Director). I have a lot of respect for them and for the club."
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When pressed on his admiration for Simeone's style of play, Amrabat added: "I don't like to talk about others. But yes, what Simeone does, what he has achieved... he has coached Atletico Madrid for many years. I like his style of play. He has won a lot and I have a lot of respect for him. The players on his team are physically strong and aggressive. I like to play that way."
Amrabat played every minute for Morocco during their remarkable World Cup run last month as they topped Group F ahead of Croatia and Belgium before beating 2010 champions Spain on penalties. They then eliminated Portugal in the quarter-finals, preceding defeats against France and then Croatia in the third-placed playoff.
The midfielder's status and list of admirers boomed as a result of his performances, but he currently only has a year-and-a-half left on his contract at the Artemio Franchi Stadium so could potentially be available at a knock-down price.
The midfielder's brother - ex-Watford star Nordin Amrabat - is expecting interest to ramp up again following his displays at the World Cup. As quoted by Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, he said: "I think the top clubs in Europe who have been sleeping have now woken up. In January, Sofyan himself was already in talks with Tottenham Hotspur, but there was no agreement on the transfer fee with Fiorentina. I think the interested parties will now line up."
