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Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that Pepe Reina in on the brink of joining Napoli on a season-long loan with Liverpool FC keen to get the Spaniard's £5.5million annual salary off their wage bill.

The Reds boss says the club couldn't justify paying Reina £110,000 per week in order to sit on the bench following the £9million signing of Simon Mignolet.

His temporary move to the Serie A outfit, which will see him reunited with former Kop boss Rafa Benitez, is expected to go through in the next 24 hours.

“Financially it is something we needed to look at,” Rodgers said.

“That would be the reason because obviously you wouldn’t move on a top goalkeeper.

“It reared its head over the last few months and I had to prepare for it by bringing in a new goalkeeper.

“Pepe is a good guy. I’ve a lot of time for him, and he understands what I want to do totally.

“He’s got a big season ahead because it’s a World Cup year and one where, if he wasn’t going to be playing, could severely harm his chances of going.”

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