adminBrendan Rodgers has refused to give Mario Balotelli any assurances about his Liverpool future and said it is up to him whether he stays at Anfield. The Italy striker – who fell foul of Liverpool fans on Twitter on Tuesday after sending a message of support to Raheem Sterling — has not travelled to South East Asia and Australia, as he has remained at Melwood with Jose Enrique and Fabio Borini, both of whom are surplus to requirements.
Liverpool would not stand in Balotelli’s way if they received a suitable offer but despite there being lots of reported interest from clubs in Italy, with Sampdoria the strongest link, they have not received a concrete offer for the 24-year-old, who has two years left on his contract.
Given that Rodgers has completely overhauled Liverpool’s forward line, with the arrival of Roberto Firmino and the imminent signing of Christian Benteke, there would appear little hope of Balotelli starting any games in the Barclays Premier League in the upcoming season.
Rodgers would not go as far as saying Balotelli, who cost Liverpool £16million, has no future but he made it clear that it is entirely down to the former AC Milan and Manchester City striker to decide whether he wants to remain at the club or seek a new challenge.
At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Rodgers said: “Mario is obviously not on tour but he is working hard and training well with a number of other players at Melwood.
“I’m not sure (whether he has a future), that’ll entirely be up to Mario. He’s working hard to get fit and we’ll see when the season begins.”
Liverpool, who have won their three friendly games so far, conclude their tour on Friday with a game against a Malaysian XI and Rodgers — who once again would not comment on the imminent purchase of Benteke — is hopeful of a better campaign following a busy transfer window.
“I think last season was a disappointment for us,” said Rodgers. “We had to ensure we needed to bring in quality because we needed to improve.
“The quality and mentality of the player is important. I’ve an inherent belief that the players we’ve brought in will help us push on this season.
“I think I’m firstly very happy with players we’ve brought in. We had to bring in quality and players with ambition. It’s about focusing on players that are here and the players we’ve brought on.
“We’re hopeful we can go on and be competitive this season and challenge on all fronts.’
Asked if he would make any more additions, Rodgers – who is looking at Paris Saint-Germain left back Lucas Digne – replied: “I’m only interested in players that I currently have.
“It’s not about players coming in, or going out, we’re here to develop the fitness of players here and help them improve tactically.
“Our ultimate goal has been to develop the football fitness of the players. We’re looking to improve the tactical idea of the team. It’s to continually improve the dynamic and cohesion of the team.” — Dailynews.
Online Reporter