Transfer news: Liverpool's £7m defender Tiago Ilori is loaned to Granada

London-born Portuguese defender leaves for Spain in search for first-team football

Though born in London, Tiago Ilori is Portuguese

Liverpool have loaned Tiago Ilori out to Spanish side Granada in the hope that the Portugal under-21 star will earn valuable experience in La Liga.

Reds manager Brendan Rodgers signed Ilori from Sporting Lisbon for £7m but the 20-year-old has struggled to break into the title-chasing side.

Born in London - despite him running out for all of the Portugal youth sides - the Football Association are also monitoring his situation in the hope that he will one day don the white of England.

Earlier this month Ilori was named on the Liverpool bench for the first time if the season, against Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup, but was an unused substitute.

With Mamadou Sakho, Kolo Toure, Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger all in decent form at Anfield, it is no great surprise that the 6ft 3in centre-back has had to look elsewhere for first-team action.

Meanwhile Rodgers has also been granted the funds by the club's hierarchy to launch an £8m offer for FC Basel winger Mohamed Salah after weeks of continued interest.

Salah has been at the top of Rodgers' agenda since last summer and Reds scouts have been monitoring the 21-year-old for much of the season.

It is thought that Rodgers is also keen to add a left-back, centre-back, midfielder and striker to his squad although he may now only make a move for Salah after the club informed him that funds would be low until the end of the season.