Inter Milan are confident that they can complete a deal for wantaway Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge before the end of the January transfer window. The former Chelsea man has been widely linked with a January move to Serie A, while Spanish side Sevilla are also believed to be interested in the 28-year-old.

Sky in Italy, as corresponded by Sky Sports, reports that Inter are more interested in a loan deal to take Sturridge to Italy, with an option to buy, but are baulking at the €40m (£35m) fee the Reds want to make the move permanent. The English forward has had a difficult 2017, having not played since early December because of a thigh injury and his record with setbacks over the past few years is the reason why the Italian club want to settle for a smaller transfer fee.

Sturridge has only 18 months left on the last contract he signed with the Reds in October 2014, which is potentially worth as much as £150,000 per week. His last major breakthrough at Anfield came under the previous manager Brendan Rodgers in the 2013/14 campaign when he scored 21 goals as the Reds finished only two points behind Manchester City in the race for the title.

Since then, he has not completed 20 games in a league season and has not been deemed a key figure in the squad this season even when fit. Summer signing Dominic Solanke has also moved ahead of Sturridge in the Anfield pecking order in recent weeks while the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has also seen more game time than the England international.

The lack of game time has led to further contemplation on his future especially as competition is rife for attacking places in Gareth Southgate's England squad and Sturridge feels that he needs regular football to give himself the best chance of being selected for the World Cup.

Former Reds defender Phil Thompson urged Sturridge to leave Liverpool in the January window, saying he would not make the World Cup squad if he stayed at Anfield.

"As a Liverpool fan, I want to see our squad remain together because it isn't that big as it is and he does enhance it. However, on a personal side, having been a player, I'd be worried his chance is passing him by," Thompson told Sky Sports in November.

Daniel Sturridge
Daniel Sturridge is keen to leave Liverpool during the January transfer window Getty

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Liverpool FC