Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has refused to be drawn on speculation linking Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia with a January move to Anfield.
Kvaratskhelia has been tipped to leave Serie A this month after failing to make progress in contract negotiations, with his deal set to expire in 2027.
Napoli value the 23-year-old at around €80 million ($82m) and Paris Saint-Germain have long been viewed as the frontrunners to land his signature.
However, reports emerged on Thursday suggesting Liverpool could look to move for the Georgia international should he become available in January.
But Slot remained tight-lipped when quizzed on the matter in a news conference ahead of his team’s FA Cup third-round clash with Accrington Stanley on Saturday.
“What I make of that is that it’s January. I said after the West Ham game, ‘don’t disappoint me, please come up with all these names’ [Liverpool are linked with],” he said.
“That’s what is happening now. Nine out of 10 times, 99 times out of 100 times, at the end of the window it becomes clear almost all of these stories weren’t true.
“What can I comment about it? The rumours? Keep going for it but there will be no comments from my side.”
Slot also jumped to the defence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has faced criticism this week following his disappointing display in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
The right-back is out of contract at the end of the season, with Liverpool having already rejected an approach from Real Madrid for him this month.
Asked whether opposing teams are looking to target Liverpool’s right-hand side, Slot said: “Might be true — but is that by a big margin? Not by a mile. It could also mean we attack a lot on the right side side and they counter-attack.
“What we do have to see is how we concede our chances and how we concede our goals. That is not only about our right side because if they attack on the right, they still have to go middle to the goal, so those in the middle have to defend as well.
“I do see patterns in the goals we concede but it is not about Trent if that is what you mean? Not at all. Trent has had one difficult game for us and maybe a few that were okay to good. Mainly he had great games this season.
“I know there is a lot of focus on him at the moment, but I would also like to highlight how well he did when he came on in the last half-hour [against Tottenham] and how our fans reacted. That is what pleased me even more.”
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