Liverpool are resigned to losing academy prospect Ethan Ennis amid interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.
The 16-year-old broke into the U18s setup at Kirkby last season and scored three goals across their run to the FA Youth Cup final.
However, he has rejected the offer of a scholarship this summer and looks set to instead join one of the Reds' Premier League rivals.
Liverpool will now turn their focus toward negotiating a development fee for the player, with a tribunal a possibility if an agreement cannot be reached.
A post on one of Ennis' social media pages this week suggested he was visiting Chelsea's Cobham training ground ahead of a potential move.
But reports emerging on Sunday suggest the Runcorn-born midfielder is in fact close to agreeing a switch to United.
Despite facing the blow of losing Ennis, Liverpool have managed to tie down a number of other talented youngsters to fresh terms this summer.
Kaide Gordon, Stefan Bajcetic and Calum Scanlon were among the 10 players who recently signed their first-year scholar terms.
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