Everton and Liverpool reluctant to pay £5m for Charlton Athletic defender Ezri Konsa

Liverpool and Everton have both cooled their interest in Charlton Athletic defender Ezri Konsa for the time being after expressing their reluctance to meet the Addicks' £5m ($7.1m) valuation for the England youth international, who is also being tracked by Brighton and Hove Albion.

Reports earlier this month claimed that the Reds and Toffees were primed to go head-to-head for Konsa, a mainstay in Karl Robinson's side's defence at the Valley, but the Daily Mail now claim that neither Merseyside outfit are willing to shell out £5m for the 20-year-old, who has 18 months left to run on his contract in south-east London.

Everton and Liverpool have raided Charlton for their youth products in the past: Sam Allardyce's side signed Ademola Lookman in a deal worth £11m last January, while Jurgen Klopp's men pilfered Joe Gomez from the Addicks for around £3m in the summer of 2015. Konsa was expected to follow the aforementioned duo to Merseyside this month, but a move to Brighton now seems likely as he and his agent seek a move to the Premier League and the riches it inevitably brings.

Despite reneging on a deal for Konsa, Liverpool and Everton are still looking to strengthen their respective youth ranks before the close of the January transfer window. The Reds are poised to complete a £200,000 deal for Falkirk teenager Tony Gallacher, while Everton Under-23s manager David Unsworth admitted that he is still on the lookout for new faces as he attempts to guide the young Toffees to consecutive Premier League 2 titles.

"Maybe one or two [new signings], but not more than that," Unsworth told the Liverpool Echo. "It's silly season, isn't it? If we can do anything we might just have one in our sights but no more than that."

Asked if a few young stars could leave, Unsworth added: "Yes, potentially. We can't let them all go out but certainly there's a few we've earmarked.

"But from that team that started on Tuesday night (v Portsmouth) not many will go, it probably more the ones on the periphery and those who could be out of contract at the end of the season who we could allow to go out on loan."