Mario Balotelli will be able to leave Liverpool for just £7million this summer, according to Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero.

Despite joining the Reds for £16million from AC Milan last summer, his disastrous first season on Merseyside means the club are willing to let him move on for more than half of that price.

Sampdoria have been the club linked the most with acquiring Balotelli’s signature ahead of the new season, and Ferrero revealed the Italian’s price tag on Monday.

“Mario Balotelli costs €10m, but with a discount we await him with open arms,” he said.

This comes six days after Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers claimed Balotelli’s future lay in his own hands, although not being part of the pre-season tour of the Far East and Australia surely shows his days at Anfield are numbered.

“Mario is obviously not on tour but working hard and training well with a number of other players at Melwood,” said Rodgers.

“I’m not sure (what his future holds), that will entirely be up to Mario.

“He is working hard to get fit and we will see when the season begins.”

Balotelli endured a nightmare 2014/15 campaign with the Reds, scoring just one Premier League goal in 16 appearances, and just four in all competitions.

The arrival of Christian Benteke and Danny Ings, coupled with the return of Divock Origi from his loan spell at Lille, surely signals the end of Balotelli’s forgettable Liverpool career.

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