Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has failed a medical to join his local library, Football Burp understands.

Sources have indicated that personal terms were agreed – up to ten books at a time, to be returned within three weeks – but the deal has now been called off.

It is thought that the move reached the medical stage but fell through when the player tweaked his hamstring reaching for a book in the True Crimes section.

An unnamed source said: “It was definitely on, and it’s a move that would have blown the transfer window wide open.

“Unfortunately, the library simply could not take the risk and Daniel has returned to his treatment room Kindle.

“A move for Joey Barton also fell through when he chinned the head librarian for putting his autobiography in the fantasy fiction section.”