A round-up of the latest transfer stories and more from Liverpool Football Club this Thursday evening.
Liverpool’s Mario Balotelli looks dejected
It is two years to the day since Mario Balotelli signed for Liverpool but reports over the past 24 hours suggest that he is closing in on a move away from the club.
The Express is among those who report that Ligue 1 side Nice are interested in the Italian who signed for £16 million from AC Milan.
They report that the striker’s agent, Mino Raiola, is trying to entice the club in making a contract offer for the Italian.
A report from Goal says that Balotelli has travelled to Nice for talks with the club but no agreement has yet been reached.
Liverpool’s Mario Balotelli in action with Hull’s Tom Huddlestone
They carry quotes from the Nice boss Lucien Favre, who commented on the possibility of signing the 26-year-old: “I don’t know him personally, but if he runs and wants to help the youngsters, then why not? If he doesn’t want to run, then there’s no way he’ll come here.”
The Daily Telegraph are another outlet who have reported interest from Nice, and that Swiss side Sion have expressed interest, while Italian outlet GianlucaDiMarzio.com report that Palermo have shown interest.
The Telegraph is also reporting that Mamadou Sakho is close to sealing a loan move to Stoke City, though there hasn’t been a timescale put on that particular deal.
Mamadou Sakho
Sakho has not played professional football since April and Jurgen Klopp is said to be open to him getting some match practice elsewhere in order to build up his fitness.
The Liverpool manager was asked about potentially selling players who have yet to feature this season in his press conference ahead of the weekend’s game with Tottenham in the Premier League.
The Liverpool Echo live blog (at 10:21) quoted him saying: “When it’s the 1st of September we have to analyse the situation, but building a squad means everybody has the prospect of playing. The players must be convinced they have to start and be angry when they don’t start.”
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp before the match
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