Liverpool Transfer News: Major Deals Planned in Latest Anfield Rumours

Mario Balotelli could be set to swap Liverpool for the third tier of Italian football as the Reds prepare to battle Premier League rivals Arsenal for Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus.

Balotelli has been an erratic flop since he moved to Anfield last summer. Now he's wanted by Lupa Castelli, according to the club's honorary president, per Sky Sport Italia (h/t Mirror reporter Aaron Flanagan):

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For Balotelli, this could be the first step towards cleaning up his act, taking two steps back and showing everyone what he is capable of doing.

I’ll try to call Mario Balotelli. On an economic point of view, we’ll see what happens. I think that at this time Mario needs to find the will he needs to compete.

It will be tough, it will be almost impossible as it is something that football has never seen, but he could do it.

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While that's more than just a lofty ambition from the chairman of a third-division side, Balotelli's career certainly needs something. One of football's most gifted yet frustratingly temperamental figures has disappeared into obscurity since arriving on Merseyside.

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Flanagan noted how the player, who scored a solitary goal in the Premier League last season, is now rooted to the bottom of the pecking order: "Liverpool still have Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi, Rickie Lambert, Fabio Borini and Jerome Sinclair at their disposal—potentially making Balotelli the NINTH choice striker on Merseyside."

Balotelli has been left out of Liverpool's current pre-season tour. When asked about the Italy international's future, manager Brendan Rodgers put the onus firmly on the player to rescue his stalled career, per BBC Sport: "I'm not sure, that will entirely be up to Mario. He is working hard to get fit and we will see when the season begins."

Rodgers is right to make this Balotelli's problem. The 24-year-old has been given ample opportunity to realise his immense natural talent at a host of top clubs.

After refreshing his forward line with Danny Ings, along with the acquisition of Christian Benteke, Rodgers doesn't need to indulge Balotelli the way he did last summer. Then, he was scrambling to adequately replace Luis Suarez.

That mission failed, but a new team is being built during this transfer window. So now is the ideal moment to write off the Balotelli experiment.

Back in April, B/R Serie A writer Matteo Bonetti explained how a return to Italy, to a club outside Serie A's top four, would be best for Balotelli:

Of course, getting him to leave, especially to a third-tier club, may well prove mission impossible for Rodgers and the Reds.

Arsenal Ready to Outbid Reds for Reus

Liverpool's hopes of signing Reus could be dented by the Gunners, according to Italian website TuttoMercatoWeb (h/t Rhys Turrell of the Daily Star). The reports state Rodgers wants to use some of the funds accrued from the sale of Raheem Sterling to bring Reus to Anfield.

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But Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger is also keen on the lightning-fast 26-year-old Germany international. Both clubs will be forced to compete with Real Madrid, who are the favourites, according to beIN Sports (h/t the Liverpool Echo's Chris Beesley).

Madrid's presence in the bidding will make any possible deal tricky for both Arsenal and Liverpool. But it's Rodgers and the Reds who face the toughest task considering they can't offer Reus participation in this season's UEFA Champions League.

Journalist Jan Aage Fjortoft has already emphatically rebuffed any suggestion Reus will head to Anfield this summer:

The Dortmund ace certainly has the pace, movement and quality as a finisher Liverpool need, but Rodgers' forward line is already pretty well stocked.

Benteke, Ings and fellow new boy Roberto Firmino are joining Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi as fleet-of-foot options. They each suit the quick and expansive game Rodgers wants the Reds to play.

Reus is a pie-in-the-sky deal. The Liverpool manager would be better served targeting a central defender or two. Plugging a leaky defence should be Rodgers' priority, not front-loading a top-heavy squad with luxury purchases.

He can let Balotelli walk and still feel more than confident about his current attackers. Then Rodgers can use the transfer kitty to finally solve Liverpool's many problems at the back.