The Liverpool board have told Jurgen Klopp he needs to sell before he's allowed to buy, according to reports from Germany.
The Reds have been linked with a move for Thiago Alcantara in recent weeks, with Bayern Munich keen to get a good price for the Spaniard.
The Bundesliga champions want around £40million for the 29-year-old, while Liverpool don't want to shell out more than £20m.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the Anfield club hard financially, and forced them to pull out of a deal for £50m-rated Timo Werner, who eventually signed for Chelsea.
They risk missing out on Thiago unless they make Bayern a serious offer for the Spaniard.
But German publication Kicker claims Reds boss Klopp will have to start selling players to raise funds if he wants to add new recruits to his ranks.
The report claims both Klopp and Thiago are keen for the deal to take place.
The Liverpool hierarchy are allegedly putting the brakes on until outward deals are finalised to ensure the club spends within its means.
Liverpool recently sold Dejan Lovren to Zenit St. Petersburg for £11m.
But this money looks set to be reinvested in Jamal Lewis, with Liverpool making a £10m bid for the full-back.
Norwich have rejected the offer, but Northern Ireland international defender Lewis has told the Norfolk club he wants out.
What's more, the Canaries have already started looking for replacements.
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