Liverpool are considering their options for a new striker in this transfer window after the pursuit of Luis Suárez stalled today over Ajax's valuation of the Uruguay international.

Damien Comolli, Liverpool's director of football strategy, held a brief meeting in Amsterdam this morning with the Ajax general director, Rik van den Boog, where he was told that the Dutch club would not consider an offer below €30m (£25m) for Suárez.

Liverpool are reluctant to pay more than £18m for the Ajax captain, who turned 24 today and is keen on a move to Merseyside, but know that will not make Suárez the marquee signing that the manager, Kenny Dalglish, is seeking this month.

The gap in valuation between the parties was outlined by an Ajax spokesman, who said: "We'll have to wait for them to come back with something more respectful. We want to keep him – at least until the end of the season and preferably for the rest of his contract. If you compare the ¤15m Liverpool want to pay for Suarez with other transfers you can imagine that it's far too low for us.

"Luis is our top goalscorer for the last three years and also the man with by far the most assists as well. He was one of the big guys for Uruguay in helping them come third in the World Cup in the summer and he still has a contract with us for two and a half years."

Whether Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool's owners, are willing to release more funds for Suárez remains to be seen, but Comolli and Dalglish have alternative targets for January. Aston Villa have made it clear that Ashley Young is not for sale but Sevilla's Alvaro Negredo is a possibility. Southampton's £10m-rated teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has made it known that he favours a move to Arsenal over Anfield.

Ryan Babel's £5.8m move to Hoffenheim, meanwhile, is back on tonight despite the Dutch international's initial reluctance to move to the German club. The news of the deal came just hours after Dalglish had said the Dutchman would be staying at Anfield for the time being.

A statement on the club's website read: "Ryan Babel has agreed a move to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. The Dutch international will fly to Germany tomorrow to finalise the deal. The move comes six days after Liverpool accepted a bid for the 24‑year‑old striker from the Bundesliga outfit."

Dalglish said this morning that Babel, who cost Liverpool £11.5m when he signed from Ajax in 2007, was staying at Anfield having declined a chance to revive his career in the Bundesliga.