Reading boss Veljko Paunovic has claimed that he and his club tried to do transfer business with Liverpool before last month's deadline.
The Reds were busy on deadline day, as they pushed to sign Fabio Carvalho from Fulham - but the deal could not be completed in time.
In the other direction, Liverpool allowed Nat Phillips to complete a loan move to Bournemouth for the remainder of the season.
And in a separate deal with Fulham, Neco Williams joined the Championship outfit on loan for the rest of the campaign.
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However, one defender who could have been on his way was Rhys Williams, who had been recalled from his loan stint with Swansea City earlier in the window.
Links throughout January claimed that Reading were interested in signing Williams on loan for the remainder of the season, but no deal got over the line.
Paunovic, while not naming any individuals involved, has revealed that Reading did try to get a deal to bring in a player from Liverpool on loan.
Reading are currently under a transfer embargo, and could only complete loan deals or free transfers in January, subject to approval from the EFL.
"We tried, now we have to look in free agency for options," Paunovic told Berkshire Live .
"We tried a couple of loans with Liverpool, with Stoke. We've been very creative and active but this was the best we could do.
"We're going to look in the free agent market. We need to bring somebody who's ready now."
