Burnley boss Sean Dyche has branded speculation linking James Tarkowski with a loan move to Liverpool as nothing more than a "bizarre" rumour.
Reports suggest the Premier League leaders are in the market for defensive reinforcements after Dejan Lovren's hamstring injury left Virgil van Dijk as Jurgen Klopp's lone fit centre-back.
Joe Gomez (broken leg) and Joel Matip (fractured collarbone) remain in rehabilitation and England international Tarkowski, 26, has been mentioned as a possible solution to the crisis.
Klopp, though, claims the Reds are not actively seeking new signings and Dyche dismissed the veracity of murmurs concerning Tarkowski.
"There are a lot of rumours out there and not much fact," Dyche told a news conference.
"The most amazing one is the Tarky one. That is just bizarre.
"It's that time of the season and everyone is looking for a snippet, but there is a lot of phantom stuff out there."
| 16-year-old Ki-Jana Hoever becomes the youngest @LFC player to play in the FA Cup! pic.twitter.com/ZvRAxj6otz— The Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 7, 2019
Tarkowski is not the only Burnley player reportedly attracting interest with each of the club's three goalkeepers variously mentioned in transfer and loan talk.
Joe Hart's future at Turf Moor seems to be in the most doubt having lost his Premier League starting spot to Tom Heaton, while the fit-again Nick Pope took over for the FA Cup win against Barnsley.
Though now apparently third choice, Dyche insisted 31-year-old Hart is not upset by the sudden change in circumstances.
"Changing the keeper is a risk-reward situation and Tom has done well," the Clarets boss said.
"That doesn't mean Joe's not a top keeper because he is a top keeper. A top pro as well. He's accepted the change and we move on. We haven't had any enquiries for anyone."
‘Slot hasn’t come in and changed everything, making it all about himself – it’s been about the players he’s inherited, getting the best out of a system he likes’: Liverpool manager impressing former players with personality and tactical approach
‘We thought we’d signed him, but Chelsea blew us away. I think they signed him so we couldn’t have him, as much as because they really wanted him’: Liverpool actually failed to sign Mohamed Salah in 2014, three years before finally getting the Egyptian
