Southampton insisted that Liverpool agree a deal that could break their existing transfer record in order to sign the striker Sadio Mane, who will be the club’s most expensive signing of all time if the targets laid out for him in the agreement between the two clubs are achieved.

It was made clear to Liverpool that there was no prospect of Mane leaving unless they paid well in excess of £30 million and the deal could yet reach £38.5 million based on the Merseyside’s club’s Champions League prospects.

With expressions of interest from Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Arsenal during the course of the previous season, Liverpool were keen to get the deal done quickly.