Gossip: Liverpool trio cut adrift by Rodgers

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DI MARIA MOVE FINALLY DUE

The newspapers are in agreement that Angel Di Maria will finally complete his move to Paris Saint-Germain this weekend, with Manchester United set to sign Barcelona’s Pedro as his replacement.

Di Maria has long been expected to move to Paris and did not appear on United’s US tour – he will be fined two weeks’ wages, £360,000, as a result, according to the Daily Express and Daily Star – but PSG initially offered to pay only £28.5million for the Argentina winger, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Now, however, the newspaper says the French champions have agreed to pay ‘in the region of £45million’ for the 27-year-old. The Guardian (£40m), Times (£44.1m), Daily Mail and Daily Express (£44m) all quote slightly different figures, but what does appear certain is that United are poised to cut their losses on a player they bought for a British record £59.7million last summer.

The Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and Daily Star all report that Louis van Gaal will quickly replace the 27-year-old with Pedro, who has ‘already told close friends he is preparing to move to Old Trafford’, according to the first of those newspapers.

BALOTELLI FROZEN OUT BY LIVERPOOL

Mario Balotelli has been told he has no future with Liverpool, according to The Independent, and is training away from the first team with Fabio Borini and Jose Enrique, who Brendan Rodgers is also looking to offload this summer.

Balotelli has not been included in Liverpool’s squad for either of their friendlies this weekend against HJK Helsinki and Swindon Town, and Rodgers is said to have told the Italian he does not want him around the first team.

The Merseyside club apparently want £10million for a player they paid £16million for last summer, with The Times claiming Lazio have joined Sampdoria and Bologna in expressing an interest in the 24-year-old.

The Independent, meanwhile, adds that there is currently no major interest in Enrique and that Liverpool have had no official approach from West Ham for Borini.

JIMENEZ SET FOR WEST HAM

Rather than Borini, the Hammers are on the verge of signing Atletico Madrid striker Raul Jimenez for £10million, according to The Sun.

While the Daily Mail reports the east Londoners are ‘exploring a loan deal’ for the 24-year-old, The Sun reckons the transfer is much further along with a work permit application already made and West Ham hoping to complete a deal ‘in the next few days’.

Jimenez only joined Atletico from Mexican outfit Club America for £8.5m in August last year, but he made only four starts in La Liga last season and scored only one goal.

He did, however, score twice for Mexico at this summer’s Copa America.

AND THE REST

– Chelsea have attempted to smooth their bid to sign John Stones by holding talks with Everton about how the two clubs can avoid any more mud-slinging over the central defender (Daily Telegraph)

– Manchester United have joined the chase for Everton defender John Stones and will offer Jonny Evans as bait (Daily Mirror)

– Liverpool will discover next week whether they have landed Denis Cheryshev, who they have bid £15million for (The Sun)

– Palermo have opened talks with Joel Campbell but are struggling to meet Arsenal’s £7million valuation of the striker (The Sun/Daily Star)

– Tottenham plan to open talks with Stuttgart over Timo Werner (The Times)

– Mohamed Salah has had a medical at Rome, but the winger’s loan move from Chelsea has been delayed because Fiorentina want £3.5million in compensation (The Times)

– Everton have expressed an interest in Udinese defender Thomas Heurtaux (The Times)

Crystal Palace are set to sign Sunderland striker Connor Wickham

– Sunderland are ready to table an improved offer after their £12.5million bid for Fenerbahce striker Moussa Sow was turned down (Daily Star)

– Rickie Lambert is expected to finalise a move from Liverpool to West Brom in the next few days, although the clubs have yet to agree a fee (The Guardian)

Aston Villa are expected to sign Rudy Gestede from Blackburn today, with Emmanuel Adebayor and Jordan Veretout also close to joining

– Leicester are in talks to sign Atalanta centre-back Yohan Benalouane (The Times/The Sun)

– Leicester are closing on a £10million deal for Internacional midfielder Charles Arunguiz (Daily Mail)

– Leicester have made a £5.6million offer for Caen midfielder N’Golo Kante and proposed a four-year contract (Daily Mail)