Liverpool Transfer News: Mario Balotelli Targeted by Sampdoria, Latest Rumours

Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli would be welcomed with "open arms" at Sampdoria, but only if the Reds are prepared to accept a significantly cut-price fee for the Italian flop.

Balotelli was brought to Anfield last summer for £16 million from AC Milan as a replacement for the departed Luis Suarez, but he managed only one goal in 940 minutes of Premier League play in 2014-15, per WhoScored.com.

As a result—and having now added Danny Ings and Christian Benteke to the squad—the Reds are apparently prepared to let the 24-year-old go for €10 million (£7.1 million).

Serie A's Sampdoria are interested, but club president Massimo Ferrero is looking for an even further reduction, per Goal.com's Dejan Kalinic: "They told me that Mario was yesterday in Genoa. He costs €10 million, but with [a] discount, you look with open arms."

Realistically, Liverpool will likely have to give in and slash his price even further if they are to get Balotelli off their wage bill this summer.

Balotelli is hardly in high demand after a truly dire season, and beIN Sports' Tancredi Palmeri suggests Fiorentina were not even open to bringing him in despite being offered very favourable terms:

It would arguably be sensible for Liverpool to simply cut their losses and negotiate with Samp, who are clearly interested in the striker.

Balotelli would surely have to take a significant pay cut if he was to move to Sampdoria, but they could offer him Serie A and potentially Europa League football. 

After bringing in Ings and Benteke—Bleacher Report's Jonathan Johnson is tipping the Belgian as a potential Premier League Golden Boot winner—Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is clearly preparing for life without Balotelli, and Sampdoria could benefit from Liverpool wanting to get rid of him:

The same is surely also true of Liverpool's other under-performing Italian striker: Fabio Borini. His Premier League return from last season was a single goal in 394 minutes, and he is surely not in Rodgers' plans, per WhoScored.

Italian club Carpi—newly promoted to Serie A—are also apparently pursuing the 24-year-old. Sporting director Sean Sogliano is looking to strengthen their squad ahead of a debut campaign in the Italian top flight, per David Amoyal on behalf of Gianluca Di Marzio.

Borini would likely relish a return to Italy, but he may be aiming slightly higher, and his agent Marco De Marchi recently told Italian outlet Radio Blu that he had held talks with Fiorentina, per Eurosport's Maxwell Ward. 

However, there is little doubt that neither Balotelli nor Borini have much of a future at Liverpool, and their respective departures from Merseyside seem imminent.