Jurgen Klopp has told Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge he can leave the club next month, according to the Scottish Sun.
The newspaper claim the Anfield manager is planning for the rest of the season without the 28-year-old, who has spent the last few campaigns on the fringes of the team.
The Sun report that that Sturridge, who earns £125,000-a-week, could now look for a loan move abroad in the January transfer window as Liverpool look to get his wages covered.
Klopp’s public stance last month was that Sturridge will not be allowed to leave the club during January.
The England international has been fit for most of the season but has started only four of his 14 appearances, which have yielded three goals and three assists.
OPINION
Sturridge may no longer be a first choice for Liverpool, where Roberto Firmino is the favoured spearhead of Klopp, but he remains a fine striker who would decorate most teams in the division. He has lost some of the pace that once made him one of the Premier League’s most feared forwards, but his touch, technique and eye for goal remain intact. Furthermore, he has a brilliant Premier League scoring record that few can match. In 131 Liverpool matches Sturridge has banged in 64 goals at virtually one every other game. His 194 top flight matches for Liverpool and former clubs Chelsea and Manchester City have resulted in 75 goals. Even a souped-down Sturridge would be a great signing for many clubs looking for an injection of goals.