Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk wants the club to keep Cody Gakpo ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
Talks are continuing with rivals Manchester City over a potential move for the Dutch forward, who is valued at around £80m.
The Etihad Stadium is Gakpo’s preferred destination, with Tottenham Hotspur also having pursued him this summer.
With Bradley Barcola undergoing a medical on Sunday ahead of his £123m move from Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool will only sanction Gakpo’s departure in the next 48 hours if they can secure another winger before the transfer window closes.
Asked if he wanted Gakpo to stay, Virgil van Dijk told reporters after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest: “What do you think? He’s a quality player. I think we should keep quality players.
“Let’s see what the next few days bring. I want him to stay not only because he’s a quality player but also because he’s a friend of mine. He’s very important for us.”
Van Dijk is excited about Barcola’s arrival and believes signing the France international from the European champions highlights Liverpool’s enduring appeal.
“He’s a good player, someone with pace,” he said. “I remember a goal he scored against Chelsea (in the Champions League last season). If he comes here then he will be welcomed with open arms.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that a club like Liverpool is very attractive to very good players. This is one of the biggest clubs in the world. We all know that we’re going through a little bit of a transition. You either want to be a part of it or you don’t.
“Adding quality to the squad always makes a difference. Let’s see what the next few days bring. After Tuesday we have to fight for everything with no regrets.”
Van Dijk also criticised the decision to award Forest a second-half penalty after Alisson was judged to have brought down Neco Williams.
Morgan Gibbs-White converted to put Forest ahead, but Victor Munoz’s first Liverpool goal secured a late point.
“It’s better if I don’t speak too much about it but my opinion is that it wasn’t a penalty,” he added. “I’ve seen it back and in my opinion it was wrong.
“I don’t know who the VAR was. We also have to speak about what happened before that situation. The switching off (from a throw) killed us but it was still no penalty. A big moment didn’t go our way and we had to fight back again.
“Forest have come here the last three seasons and remained unbeaten. That shouldn’t happen. In all the years I’ve been at the club it hadn’t happened. It’s down to us to make sure we are a unit – every member of the squad together with our fans.”
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