Liverpool Dealt Huge Blow In Yevhen Konoplyanka Chase

Liverpool have suffered a huge setback in their pursuit of Yeven Konoplyanka, after British reports claimed that Paris Saint Germain are set to fight with the Premier League giants to secure his services.

Konoplyanka was closed to moving to Anfield during the latest January transfer window, after managing director Ian Ayre travelled to Ukraine on deadline day to finalise a deal. The 24-year old forward was keen on joining Liverpool and Dnipro were also willing to let the player leave, but as they did not receive the money on time the deal collapsed.

It is understood that Liverpool are still interested in signing Konoplyanka and they will renew their attempts to sign the Ukrainian star in the summer, as Brendan Rodgers is looking to bolster the squad with a versatile forward.

However the Daily Mail reports that the Dnipro forward has also emerged as a target for PSG, and the French club even held preliminary talks with intermediaries in Qatar on Monday.

Liverpool are already considering other alternatives to the UKraInian star should they fail to secure the deal again next summer, with recent reports claiming that they are monitoring Aletico Madrid'S Arda Turan, Benfica's Nicolas Gaitan and PSG'S out-of-contract star Jeremy Menez.

Yet Rodgers recently suggested that Konoplyanks remains his first summer target, hinting that they will reopen the negotiations with Dnipro once the season ends.

"I've heard it mentioned the problem was about the money, but that was not a problem. It just wasn't to be. I feel really sorry for the player because he was obviously desperate to come but it's gone now and we will review it in the summer" Rodgers said.

Meanwhile, Dnipro executive director Andriy Rusol also revealed that they are still open to selling Konoplyanka to Liverpool.

"I am a thousand percent sure that Liverpool will try again in the summer and then we'll let him go. Money was not the problem, the problem was that Liverpool came too late."