Journalist Alex Crook says that Brighton and Hove Albion are 'not in' for Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, contrary to recent reports.

The Lowdown: Brighton 'targeting' Oxlade-Chamberlain

The Daily Mail claimed on Wednesday morning that the south coast club were 'targeting' a move for the 29-year-old, but it hinged on whether the Reds would let him go on a free transfer this month.

The Seagulls reportedly 'registered their interest' in the Englishman, with his current deal at Anfield set to expire at the end of the season.

The Latest: On the contrary...

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday evening, Crook claimed that Brighton are in fact 'not in' for Oxlade-Chamberlain and are instead focused on securing another target.

The talkSPORT reporter tweeted: "Understand #BHAFC are not in for Haidara or Oxlade-Chamberlain. Still pushing for a deal for Mykola Matviyenko. He is De Zerbi's main priority this window."

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The Verdict: Get rid

Unfortunately for Oxlade-Chamberlain, his time at Liverpool has largely been plagued by injuries, and with his contract up in the summer, January presents the last opportunity for the club to reap a transfer fee for him and simply get him off the wage bill.

The 29-year-old is reportedly earning £120,000 per week at Anfield, which puts him among some of the highest earners in the Reds' squad.

Jurgen Klopp has enough cover in central midfield for now, and it is an area of the pitch where they clearly want to strengthen, having been linked with the likes of RB Leipzig's Amadou Haidara and Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo in recent days, along with their long-term pursuit of Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.

Nonetheless, the Merseysiders can afford to let Oxlade-Chamberlain go this month, as he would not be too much of a miss, featuring in just 10 matches in total this season and ranking as their second-worst player to start more than one Premier League game according to WhoScored performance metrics.