Liverpool have been warned that they could live to regret not sealing a January deal for Fabio Carvalho.
The Reds were trying to get a deal over the line for the Fulham forward but transfer deadline day saw them fall short.
The deal fell through as EFL clubs are not allowed to file 'deal sheets' - something Premier League clubs are able to take advantage of.
Carvalho has contributed seven goals and chipped in with five assists this season for the Cottagers.
However, he is out of contract at the end of the season and as he is under the age of 24, Premier League rules state that Liverpool would be required to pay compensation to the Fulham if they sign him at the end of his contract.
Will Liverpool capture Carvalho in the summer? Let us know in the comments
Glen Johnson, the former Liverpool defender, is a big fan of the Portuguese youngster and believes his old club will face stern competition for his signature in the summer - especially if he continues in the same vein of form until the end of the season.
Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have both tentatively been linked with a summer move for Carvalho - and Johnson believes they could regret not getting the deal done when they had the chance.
“He looks like a fantastic young player," Johnson, who spent six years at Anfield, told bettingodds.com.
"I think Liverpool will be kicking themselves that they didn’t get the deal done in January.
"Considering that he’s out of contract in the summer, if his form continues like the way it has been then there will be more competition for him come the summer.
“The Premier League is the best league in the world and we want to see the best young players there.
"He’s a super young player and looked unfazed playing against Manchester City in the FA Cup, so yes, I’d love to see him in the Premier League.”
Tuesday night saw Carvalho star again, as he weighed in with an assist in Fulham's 3-0 win over Millwall.
The victory, which saw Aleksandar Mitrovic take his goal tally to a scarcely believable 30 goals already, extended Fulham's lead at the top of the table before Bournemouth trimmed it down to six on Wednesday.
Manager Marco Silva has previously spoken of the huge problem his side are likely to have in terms of being able to hold on to Carvalho beyond this season.
He said: "From day one I have been trying to keep him. It is not a surprise that clubs are interested in Fabio. We are talking about a young player with big talent.
"The situation is not easy because he is in the last year of his contract, but that is the reality. It is out of our plans for him to leave the club in this window. It has been difficult for us to renew with him, but we are trying.
"It is always difficult with a player of this talent - even with a contract it is difficult to keep him, and without it is even worse."
