Liverpool: Mario Balotelli urged by Brendan Rodgers to leave Anfield

Brendan Rodgers has closed the door on a possible career for Mario Balotelli at Liverpool and has told him that he is currently the seventh choice striker at the club, as reported by the Daily Mirror.

The manager has made it clear that he is behind the likes of Jerome Sinclair and Sheyi Ojo in the pecking order and will not be afforded a role even in cup competitions, making his position untenable at the Merseyside club.

The Italian did not have the best of starts to his Liverpool career, scoring only a solitary Premier League goal in his debut season at the club.

His performance was a major blow to Liverpool's chances of securing a position in the top four, with the goals drying up owing to the departure of Luis Suarez and an injury to Daniel Sturridge, which kept him out for the major part of the campaign.

The club will now be listening to offers for Balotelli and hope that he is willing to make his way out of Anfield with Lazio, Fiorentina, Bologna and Galatasaray all having made approaches to sign him this summer, as also cited by the Mirror.

Lazio are reportedly favourites for his signature with the Serie A club having approached his agent Mino Raiola to enquire over his availability. Balotelli had made the move from AC Milan in 2014, but failed to make it in the Premier League for the second time after falling out of favour at Manchester City.

Liverpool have been extremely active in the transfer market this season, making seven astute signings in the form of Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Danny Ings, Nathaniel Clyne, Joe Gomez and Adam Bogdan.

The Reds finished the season in sixth spot last season and will be looking to get back into the mix for a place in the Champions League, where they failed to make it out of the group stages in the recently concluded campaign.