Liverpool nearly completed a £16 million transfer for Yevhen Konoplyanka during the January window, but Dnipro's president now claims to be close to a deal with Tottenham.

Konoplyanka is a 24-year-old left winger.

Ihor Kolomoyskyi said he'd now rather sell Konoplyanka to Spurs.

He said: “I’m talking with Tottenham president. He wants Konoplyanka. We’re negotiating and may even be close to signing a contract.

“Liverpool was just some representatives talking on the phone. Talks with Spurs is entirely on another level.

“I do not want to criticize the 'Liverpool', but if I was interested in football players, I would have done it a week or two before.

“If Spurs want Konoplyanka, I’d happily sell. London life is better than Liverpool. Spurs’ interest is strong and advanced.

“I talked with Konoplyanka. Of course, he had regrets, but [move to Liverpool] failed purely due to technical reasons

“I’m ready to let any player leave; we can’t break his sports career. But on the final day, Liverpool failed to do a deal. They failed themselves. It was purely technical reasons.

“I’m ready to let go of any player because we can not break a career, we cannot break players’ destiny.”