Liverpool are considering a summer swoop for the highly-rated Kalidou Koulibaly but Napoli have told the Reds they are £32m short of their valutation.
The Senegalese defender could be set to leave the Serie A outfit this summer after several impressive years in Italy.
Manchester United are another of the clubs to be linked with the 29-year-old.
But Liverpool have made the first move with a £58m offer, although that was quickly rebuffed by Napoli.
The Serie A club are seeking £90m for their prized asset ahead of a potential overhaul in Naples, reports Corriere dello Sport.
Napoli and Koulibaly won the Coppa Italia in midweek but have endured a difficult campaign and look unlikely to qualify for Europe.
They still have the second-leg of their Champions League last 16 tie against Barcelona to play, but need a result in the Nou Camp to progress.
Liverpool are potentially seeking a strong partner for Virgil van Dijk.
The Dutchman has been paired with Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez at the heart of the Reds defence.
Gomez particularly is highly thought of, but is still young while the Napoli star is in his peak years.
Liverpool will almost certainly have the lure of Premier League champions which could yet sway Koulibaly's mind as Europe's heavyweights line up.
And they were given a boost in midweek as Napoli boss Gennaro Gattuso said: “We don't need to operate too much in the market.
“We have to see who's going to leave us. Our chairman knows it – we speak about it every week. This is a strong team but I think that only 70-80% of the players will stay with us.
“We will do a few transfers but I know this team has great quality [already].”
