Liverpool have rejected a £25 million bid for Christian Benteke from Crystal Palace as they look to recoup as much as possible of the £32.5 million outlay they spent on the striker just last summer.
The Londoners made a formal first offer for Benteke on Friday, the same day the transfer window officially opened, which was instantly met with a firm dismissal.
With the nature of this summer's market meaning fees are rising ever higher, the Reds are aiming to almost make all of their money back on the Belgian - who had regularly indicated his desire to stay at Anfield and fight for a first-team place.
But Jürgen Klopp sees no future for the striker in his side, particularly after spending £30 million to add versatile forward Sadio Mane to the ranks earlier this week.
In addition, Benteke is already behind Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino in Klopp's front-line options, with the return of Danny Ings likely to push Benteke down even further.
Reds waiting for second Benteke bid from Palace
The Belgium international has failed to live up to his price tag since becoming the Reds' second most expensive player ever in joining from Aston Villa, despite scoring 10 goals in his first 12 months.
The 25-year-old appeared off the substitutes' bench 22 times, having started only 20 games in his first season on Merseyside, having struggled to adjust to a different style-of-play after moving from a Villa side built to get the best out of him.
Benteke has spent the last few weeks at Euro 2016 but will have time to discuss his future after Marc Wilmots' Belgium were dumped out by Wales in the quarter-finals in Lille on Friday.
It is thought that the striker would be open to a move to Selhurst Park, with Alan Pardew's side looking for a striker to replace the hole left behind by Dwight Gayle, who left for the Championship to join Newcastle United.
A bid of £30 million or more would be enough for Liverpool to let Benteke go, with the player's departure having been an inevitability for some time - featuring regularly in Klopp's heavily-rotated sides towards the end of the campaign.
The Eagles have already signed winger Andros Townsend and goalkeeper Steve Mandanda from Newcastle and Marseille this week, spending just shy of a combined £15 million on the pair.
They were also said to be chasing Benteke's compatriot Michy Batshuayi, whose £33 million switch to Chelsea is expected to be confirmed in the next few days.
Sinclair seals long-awaited Watford exit
Elsewhere, Liverpool also reached a £4 million agreement with Watford for Jerome Sinclair on Thursday - saving the two clubs having to go to a transfer tribunal.
The 19-year-old's contract ran out this summer and having failed to agree a new deal, chose to join the Hornets in search of more regular game time and a wage increase.
He leaves having made only five senior appearances for Liverpool, scoring once in the FA Cup against Exeter City back in January, and the clubs have finally agreed a compensation fee to allow the move to go ahead.
It had been thought the two clubs might be forced to go to an independent tribunal after Watford had seen a £1.5 million bid for the England youth international rejected five months ago.
Sinclair follows Jordan Rossiter and Joao Carlos Teixeira's exits to Rangers and Porto respectively, with Sergi Canos looking likely to join the trio due to Liverpool's hard-line contract stance seeing the Spaniard fail to agree a new deal.