Jurgen Klopp Admits No First-Team Promises for 'Outstanding' Striker Amid Transfer Speculation

Daniel Sturridge will not be guaranteed a place in the Liverpool first-team if the 28-year-old cannot seal a short-term loan move away from Anfield this month.

Sturridge has attracted interest from Italy and Spain in recent weeks, with Inter Milan boss Luciano Spalletti eager to add more firepower to the San Siro.

However, if the England international is forced to stay in Liverpool for the rest of the season, Jürgen Klopp has confirmed that the former Chelsea striker will be fighting alongside Danny Ings and Dominic Solanke in trying to challenge for Roberto Firmino's first-team place.

"I have never in my life promised a player game time for the next few months. It is not possible," Klopp claimed, as quoted by the Mirror.

"When Daniel is fit, training, in shape he is still an outstanding striker there is no doubt about that. But he did not play the last few weeks - for different reasons.

"Of course one of them was Roberto Firmino's performance, then Dom Solanke's development. And Daniel in and out of training.

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"In general he was more in than out in training, but the time he was in he was a little unlucky with games. That was the situation, nothing more."

Despite almost half of Sturridge's nine Premier League appearances - the last of which came in November - being from the substitute bench, the England international has scored two goals this season and claimed a match-winning assist against Leicester City on matchday six.