Inter Milan remain confident they will be able to sign Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, according to Sky in Italy.
Sturridge has been widely linked with a January move to Serie A, while Spanish side Sevilla are also believed to be interested in the 28-year-old.
Inter are understood to want a loan deal to take Sturridge to Italy, with an option to buy, but they are not willing to pay the €40m Liverpool want to make the move permanent.
The England forward has not played since early December because of a thigh injury and his chequered record is part of the reason why Inter are looking to pay a smaller transfer fee.
Sturridge also has only 18 months left on the last contract he signed with the Premier League club in October 2014.
He joined Liverpool in January 2013 but has only once played more than 20 league games in a season, when he scored 21 goals in a brilliant 2013-14 campaign.
Inter are looking for another attacking option, with only Mauro Icardi (18) and Ivan Perisic (7) having scored more than three goals for them in Serie A this season.