Liverpool have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Werder Bremen forward Milot Rashica after the German club sealed their place in next season's Bundesliga on Monday night.
Werder were forced to take part in the relegation playoffs after finishing 16th in the final Bundesliga standings, just one point clear of the automatic relegation spots.
A 2-2 draw in Monday's second leg against promotion hopefuls Heidenheim saw Werder secure top-flight survival on away goals, narrowly avoiding a shock demotion to the second tier.
Rashica played a crucial role in their survival with eight goals and seven assists, but he has been heavily tipped to leave the club regardless of whether they were able to stay up.
A number of Premier League clubs including Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United have been credited with an interest in the 24-year-old, who has reportedly already told his teammates that he will be leaving.
German media outlet DeichStube reports that Rashica has a £33m release clause in his contract with his current club, but that he would have been available for just €15m (£13.6m) had Werder suffered relegation.
Werder's sporting director last month confirmed that the Kosovo international is keen to leave the club this summer.
Barney Corkhill
