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With Jurgen Klopp and his first team squad in Dubai for a mid-season warm weather training camp, Liverpool are using the next few days to consider how strongly to pursue their options in the transfer market as they look to replace Philippe Coutinho.

Following the 2-1 victory over neighbours Everton in the FA Cup third round, the Reds had eight blank days before they host leaders Manchester City in the Premier League and have used the break in the calendar to take advantage of some sunshine sessions at top-class facilities.

As Klopp showed with his pursuit of Virgil van Dijk, who agreed to join for a world record £75million fee for a defender on the eve of the window reopening, and Naby Keita, who will arrive from RB Leipzig ahead of next season, he is prepared to wait for his number one targets rather than have to turn to alternatives.

Thomas Lemar is believed to be at the top of Liverpool’s list of potential Coutinho replacements but with his club Monaco making it clear that they had no intention of selling the France international midway through the current campaign, the 22-year-old could become a recruit they chase in the summer.

The likes of Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva (£52million and £43million to Manchester City); Tiemoue Bakayoko (£40million to Chelsea) and Kylian Mbappe (on loan to Paris St Germain with an agreed sale at the end of the season) all departed the club last summer but Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim insisted on Friday that there would be no sales this month.

He said: “Monaco are not in the habit of making big sales in the winter. It’s our strategy.

“The players understand and they know how it goes here.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool are not on the verge of signing Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez.

Reports in both France and the Algerian international’s native North Africa suggested that the 2015/16 PFA Players’ Player of the Year were closing in on a move to the Reds for a £50million fee but the ECHO understands no approach has been made.