Liverpool Transfer News: Mario Balotelli Tops Exit List, New Dani Alves Rumours

Mario Balotelli’s long-term Liverpool future looks to be under major threat, with reports suggesting that Reds boss Brendan Rodgers has lost patience with the Italian forward.

That’s according to Matt Lawton of the Mail Online, who claims that the Anfield chief will admit he made a mistake in bringing the striker to Merseyside, citing the player’s unwillingness to press the ball and take on rudimentary tactical instructions as contributing factors.

Lawton continues:

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On the training field there have been similar issues; a situation that has offended team-mates who do buy into Rodgers’ methods and want to build on the success they enjoyed last season.

So there will be no second chance for Balotelli at Liverpool next season; no opportunity to redeem himself.

Rodgers is continuing to use him when absolutely necessary but he is at the very top of a list of players he will be putting up for sale this summer. He has to get him out and put what money he can recover for him to better use, if only to improve morale in a dressing room that probably lost patience with the guy before even he did. 

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The £16 million summer signing was omitted from the Liverpool squad for their recent win over Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup, a match that saw the Reds book their spot at Wembley for a semi-final against Aston Villa. The striker posted this picture on Instagram, with a high temperature seemingly the reason for his absence.

But the problems have been mounting for the forward throughout the campaign. He’s failed to impress in the vast majority of chances he has been given by the Reds, drawing criticism from plenty for his languid efforts at the point of the attack. Indeed, even with Daniel Sturridge out injured for so long, Balotelli was unable to nail down a spot in the team.

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As noted here by SamuelJayC, there are far less illustrious but much more diligent strikers comprehensively outperforming the Liverpool man:

When Balotelli signed for Liverpool there were plenty who thought this was his last chance to make it at an elite club. But after another tumultuous spell and potentially another sale, it’s an opportunity he looks to have blown.

What happens in the future for him will be intriguing should Liverpool decide to cash in this summer, but you can bet there will be no top managers looking at signing the forward. As for the Reds, while Balotelli is something of a cult hero among the supporters, there are few associated with the club who’d lament his potential sale for too long.

Liverpool Swoop for Dani Alves

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The Reds are apparently ready to offer a contract to Barcelona’s Dani Alves, according to reports in Spain (h/t Paul Gorst of Metro), as they look to bolster their full-back options for next season.

The Brazilian’s contract with the Blaugrana expires at the end of the current campaign, and the aforementioned piece claims that the Reds have tabled a bid for the 31-year-old star, with the club set to lose the experienced Glen Johnson this summer.

Here’s a look at what Alves has to offer:

This facet of the team has certainly been an issue for Liverpool in recent weeks. Rodgers has deployed wing-backs at times this season, and while it’s a system that has worked for the Reds in the main, they don’t have many orthodox options in that position; Alves is a player who could fill that role with distinction.

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But he’d be a short-term, lucrative fix to a problem that is in need of being addressed with longevity in mind. The player’s agent Dinorah Santana has also recently revealed that Alves has been offered a new deal by the Blaugrana, per Sport (h/t Joe Wright of Goal):

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On Monday, I had a meeting with [director] Javier Bordad. On Wednesday I have had the second meeting. I have already received an offer [for a new contract], although I can't say if I am happy or not [with it].

There will be more meetings. They told me they will call me to arrange the next one.

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David Ramos/Getty Images

While Alves would add some real incision to the full-back position at Anfield and be a wonderful player to have around what is a relatively young squad, this is a deal that looks unlikely to materialise—especially with Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain also reportedly interested in signing the former Sevilla star, per Charles Perrin of the Daily Express.

Barcelona will be desperate for Alves to stay, too, and given negotiations seem to be underway, it would be a major surprise to see him walk away from the Camp Nou. With little depth in this position, it’s imperative Blaugrana boss Luis Enrique ties him down with the club unable to sign a potential replacement until January 2016.