Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli eyed by Sampdoria to partner Samuel Eto'o in attack

• Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero wants to sign Mario Balotelli
• Ferrero wants to partner Balotelli in attack alongside Samuel Eto'o 
• Balotelli is expected to depart Liverpool after one season at the club
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Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero has re-iterated his desire to sign Mario Balotelli from Liverpool. 

The club's eccentric owner, who wanted to take the Italy striker on loan earlier this year, said: 'Balotelli is a great name. He’d suit a lot of teams. I’d take him at Sampdoria in a heartbeat. A partnership of Eto’o-Balotelli would be fantastic.' 

Sampdoria are looking to offload Stefano Okaka and Eder who have attracted interest from Stoke and Crystal Palace respectively.

Mario Balotelli is expected to depart Liverpool at the end of the season after only a year at the club

Liverpool are expected to offload Balotelli at the end of the season after an uninspiring year at Anfield.

The Italy international has struggled to hit the back of the net under Brendan Rodgers and has featured less prominently as the season has gone on.

The former Manchester City striker joined Liverpool in a £16million deal from AC Milan in August.

Daniel Sturridge has missed 53 Liverpool games because of injury... Brendan Rogers must get his star forward fit and firing again

• Daniel Sturridge could be out for up to five months with a hip injury
• The Liverpool forward underwent surgery in New York on Tuesday
• Sturridge has endured an injury-ravaged second full season at Anfield
• He has missed 53 games because of injury since moving to Merseyside
• Liverpool have struggled to replace Sturridge and old boy Luis Suarez

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has been ruled out for five months following hip surgery in the latest instalment of the injury woe that has plagued his second full season at Anfield.

Rewind 12 months and Sturridge – long touted as having a big future in English football – finally seemed to have found his feet, scoring 35 goals in an excellent 18 months since signing from Chelsea.

But thigh, calf and hip injuries have seen him miss almost two-thirds of the current campaign and without that firepower up top Raheem Sterling and Steven Gerrard are the club’s top scorers on just 11 each. Meanwhile, Sturridge's former striker partner Luis Suarez has 24 goals in Spain even after missing a chunk of the season through suspension. 

Daniel Sturridge has missed 53 games for Liverpool since joining the club from Chelsea in January, 2013

Liverpool striker Sturridge has already missed 40 games this season because of recurring injury problems

Sturridge could be out for up to five months after undergoing hip surgey in New York on Tuesday

The 25-year-old has only managed four Premier League goals this season after netting 21 last term

STURRIDGE'S LIVERPOOL INJURIES 

February 2013: Dead leg (missed one game)

February 2013: Thigh (one game)

May 2013: Ankle ligament

September 2013: Thigh

November 2013: Ankle ligament (nine games)

April 2014: Hamstring (two games)

July 2014: Hamstring

September 2014: Thigh (seven games)

October 2014: Calf (seven games)

November 2014: Thigh (18 games)

April 2015: Hip (eight games, plus likely to miss first nine weeks of next season)

Now, there are questions about whether Sturridge can be relied upon as a top-class centre forward and he is unlikely to return until September or October when he could be left to play catch-up with the rest of the Barclays Premier League.

Luck hasn’t always come the way of Sturridge during his career before he arrived on Merseyside: the 25-year-old struggled to find a regular first-team space after breaking through as Manchester City’s finest youth product for years and he was a victim of the chopping and changing of managers at Chelsea.

So when the faintest of touches gave him his first goal of the season against Southampton – the winner - on the opening weekend of the season, it felt like a significant moment. Here was a striker who had been through difficult spells but was now the leading man for club and country.

After the game, with Anfield buzzing with title anticipation again, Sturridge spoke of how the goalscoring pressure was now on his shoulders after Suarez’s £75million move to Barcelona.

‘There’s pressure for me to get the goals now,’ he said. ‘With the players the manager has brought in, no disrespect to Luis, we move on from that now, we’ve shown today we can win games and score goals.’

But almost nine months on, only four more goals have followed for Sturridge. Liverpool have just 49 league goals compared to 96 at the same point last season (Sturridge had 23) and their star striker has been sorely missed.

Even when the Liverpool No 15 has been fit, the spark of last season has not been there. A yard of pace lost, a split-second delay on his shooting, a lack of confidence. Sturridge has lost his edge and that means Liverpool no longer have theirs.

SUPER STAT 

Since Sturridge joined Liverpool in January 2013, they have played 122 games and he has been available for just 66, or 55 per cent of them.

(Figures include remaining games this season)

Look back to the FA Cup trip to Blackburn where Sturridge was supposed to be nearing full fitness, having played a part in all of Liverpool’s previous 14 games (his longest run this season). Instead, he was lethargic and could not stretch the opposition back four in the way that he should.

There is an underlying problem – and Liverpool believe Sturridge’s surgery in Boston has found it. Something is clearly continuing to niggle at him and is potentially contributing towards his injuries but the Merseyside club must now wait until September to discover whether that has been eradicated.

In his absence, Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini have been unable to step up when asked to and now Sturridge’s persistent problems mean Brendan Rodgers will have to find another elite level striker to bring in this summer.

But that sort of quality doesn’t often come cheap, or to clubs outside of the Champions League. A solution to Sturridge’s problems must be found and luck cannot be used as an excuse any longer.

In the period since his arrival at Anfield, the England forward is still the Premier League’s third-top goalscorer despite his problems this season. He has the class to transform his club’s fortunes – and boy, do they need it.

Liverpool believe they have found the common factor and will hope it is sorted by the time he returns in September or October. No matter who they bring in this summer, the fate of both the Reds and under-pressure boss Rodgers depend upon it.

If that issue is sorted, they will have a man who ranks among the Premier League’s finest finishers back at his best. And that could be the difference between the failures of this season and the potential success of next. 

The only Arsenal player good enough to make the Invincibles is Alexis Sanchez, says club legend Ray Parlour

• Ray Parlour was part of the Premier League-winning Invincibles side
• Alexis Sanchez only player who would make squad, says the 42-year-old
• The Chilean has impressed in his debut season since moving from Spain

Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has admitted that Alexis Sanchez is the only player in the current squad who would have made the title-winning 'Invincibles' starting XI.

The Chilean has been a revelation since moving to north London from Barcelona and impressed against Hull, with two goals taking his tally to 16 goals in the league.

Parlour is a big fan of the attacker but he doesn't rate his team-mates quite as highly.

Alexis Sanchez (left) rounds Hull keeper Steve Harper to score his second goal at the KC Stadium

Ray Parlour thinks that Sanchez is only current player that would get a game in the Invincibles squad

He told Carlsberg led 'The Peoples Pundit': 'I don't think the full backs would be good enough. Lauren was a great underrated player and Ashley Cole was fantastic.

'I really like Laurent Koscielny; he's improved so much. I could maybe see him getting a game instead of Kolo Toure, alongside Sol Campbell. You could make an argument for that, anyway.

'In midfield, (Patrick) Vieira and Gilberto did a great job and (Robert) Pires was a very good player. The only one I could really see getting in would be Sanchez, on the right side of midfield.

'As for up front, none of them would have any chance of replacing (Dennis) Bergkamp or (Thierry) Henry. Not a chance.'

Arsenal have arguably been the most impressive side in the Premier League in recent weeks as they attempt to pip Manchester City to second and earn themselves automatic qualification to the Champions League group stages. 

Sanchez's deflected free-kick opened the scoring as Arsenal eased past their struggling opponents

Eden Hazard, Harry Kane, John Terry or Branislav Ivanovic? Sportsmail's reporters reveal who they think should win the Football Writers' Award this season

• Luis Suarez won the Football Writers Association award last season
• This year, Chelsea surged to the Premier League title under Jose Mourinho
• John Terry and Eden Hazard are contenders, as is Tottenham's Harry Kane 

The Football Writers' Award will be handed out on May 12 and there will be a different name on the trophy with last year's winner, Luis Suarez, moving from Liverpool to Barcelona.

Chelsea have no shortage of contenders, but could Harry Kane spoil their hopes after his astonishing breakthrough season at Tottenham? 

Sportsmail's writers give their breakdown on who has impressed enough to take the honours. 

Chelsea have won the Premier League but will one of their players take the Football Writers' Award?

 

LEE CLAYTON

John Terry. Jamie Carragher says he is the best central defender to have ever played in the Premier League. I’ll just settle for him being the best player in the country this season. 

I love attacking flair (Hazard, Coutinho) and we all turn up to watch goals (Harry Kane), but Terry has been magnificent. 

He’s played every game, won the title and has been consistently outstanding. 

John Terry (right) has been present for every minute of every game in Chelsea's season in 2014-15 so far

Luis Suarez won it last year, so we’re not picking players based on whether you want them around for cucumber sandwiches with your favorite auntie. 

He’s a winner, he’s my footballer of the year. 

 

JOE BERNSTEIN

Probably the toughest choice for years. Aguero and Costa have had injuries, Sanchez and Sterling been inconsistent, Hazard and Kane not performed in the big games, JT has got history which makes it hard to put an X next to his name. 

Ivanovic has epitomised Chelsea as much as John Terry this season, he's also played in every league game and covers a lot more ground than his team-mate. 

Branislav Ivanovic has eptomised Chelsea as much as John Terry and has scored six times from defence

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Ivanovic (left) has been a mainstay in Chelsea's defence throughout their league-winning campaign

Defensively as tough as teak, Ivanovic still overlaps at the age of 31 and has weighed in with six important goals too. 

He's been a magnificent servant for seven years at Chelsea and deserves some individual recognition. I know he won't win but he'd be my pick. 

 

DOMINIC KING

Harry Kane. As much as I admire what John Terry - he has been a colossus and it is baffling that his contemporaries didn't include him in their six-man shortlist for the PFA awards - and Eden Hazard have done to help Chelsea become the champions, the rise of Kane has been absolutely remarkable. 

Harry Kane (second right) has enjoyed an astonishing season at Tottenham where he has scored 30 times

Kane was on the fringes of the squad at the start of the season but has broken into the England side

His goals have been responsible for Tottenham accumulating 21 more points than they might have done and scoring more than 30 times in his debut campaign, given his youth, adds to the narrative. 

He gets the vote by a whisker. 

 

MATT BARLOW 

Eden Hazard; Six weeks ago I chose Harry Kane because his comic-book rise had been the story of the season, lifting Spurs and scoring within seconds of his England debut.

But I'm going for Eden Hazard because he has scored six in his last 10 Chelsea games, including three games in which he scored the only goal. 

Eden Hazard has scored six times in his last 10 games as Chelsea surged to Premier League glory

Hazard (right) has provided 14 goals and nine assists for Chelsea on their way to the league title

Hazard has influenced results at the most critical time, moving from precocious talent and entertainer to game-changer at the highest level by doing so. 

He has been consistently brilliant but when it mattered most and his team was ailing he stepped forward and led Chelsea to the title.

United in training as they aim to end run of three losses after Van Gaal admits he was 'forced' to sign Depay early to head off PS

Louis van Gaal says he was 'forced' into signing Memphis Depay.

The Manchester United manager landed the PSV Eindhoven forward, 21, on Thursday in a deal thought to be worth £25million.

Speaking ahead of his side's trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday he revealed he would have rather have waited until the end of the season but had to act quickly to stop the player from joining Paris Saint-Germain.

PSV winger Memphis Depay (centre) has agreed to join Manchester United in a £25million deal this summer

Juan Mata, Antonio Valencia and Wayne Rooney (L-R) race each other in training on Friday afternoon

Manchester United duo Radamel Falcao (left) and Robin van Persie prepare to face Crystal Palace

'I have been forced to sign him,' said Van Gaal. 'I don't want to sign him before the end of the season because we have to focus on our games and when you sign a player you disturb the focus of your present group.

'The coming matches are very important for Manchester United and for all of the players, but because of the market I must handle (it now), because otherwise he had signed for Paris St Germain and that's why I signed Memphis Depay. 

But we have to speak about Crystal Palace and not about Memphis Depay or (David) De Gea or something like that.'

Van Gaal, who revealed a virus has been sweeping the club, added that his own personal intervention prevented Depay, the Dutch league's top scorer, from heading to France.

'I don't want to speak with players before the season has ended,' he said. 'I have also a feeling to my players, but now because of the close relationship with the management of PSV I could handle it.'

Van Gaal also congratulated champions Chelsea and added that he was not disappointed that old friend Jose Mourinho had given his side four days off before they play Liverpool, United's rivals for a top-four spot.

'I have sent him a message but I don't know if the message has arrived because I know he changes (phone) number a lot,' he said.

'It was well deserved, I think, when you see the statistics you cannot doubt they are the real champions.'

Michael Carrick will not play again this season after suffering a calf injury at Old Trafford last month

Van Gaal also revealed that Michael Carrick was out for the season and that Marcus Rojo was not likely to make the squad for Saturday's trip to Selhurst Park. 

He added that Jonny Evans may take a place on the bench and that James Wilson had been suffering from the virus.

Liverpool put through their paces ahead of clash with Chelsea as Brendan Rodgers denies Memphis Depay transfer interest

Liverpool seemed in high spirits during training ahead of their clash with Premier League champions Chelsea on Sunday despite news Daniel Sturridge could be out until September.

The Sturridge blow came soon after it was announced Manchester United had signed PSV winger Memphis Depay, who had been previously linked with a move to Liverpool.

But Reds manager Brendan Rodgers rejected speculation that United beat his side to Depay's signature at a press conference on Friday.

Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli was pictured in high spirits during a training session on Friday 

The Italy international returned to training after recovering from a foot injury to take part in the sessions 

'It was not something that we were interested in,' Rodgers said. 

'He is a young, talented player but we already have four wingers at the club: Raheem Sterling, Jordon Ibe, Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic.

'We have other priorities we are looking at through the course of the summer but with the players we have in those positions, particularly on the left side, we are quite well stocked.

'It is not something to talk about today. There will be enough activity over the course of the summer.

Rodgers (middle) talks to attacker Raheem Sterling during training ahead of Sunday's clash with Chelsea

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who is leaving the club at the end of the season, practises his shooting

And it seemed that Rodgers' confident mood had rubbed off on his players as they were put through their paces during Friday's training session.

Mario Balotelli was pictured laughing and joking around at Melwood Training Ground and the Italy international will be hoping he'll have more to smile about when Liverpool meet Chelsea on Sunday.

Balotelli, who has been linked with a summer move away from Anfield after a disappointing debut season at Liverpool, was returning to training after a foot injury.

Liverpool's attack has been hindered by injuries throughout the season, with Balotelli's team-mate Sturridge suffering another setback.

Balotelli has a chat with defenders Dejan Lovren (left) and Kolo Toure (right) as they stretch their legs

The Liverpool striker had surgery on his left hip on Tuesday in New York but the severity of the problem means the 25-year-old will not be able to resume full training for four months. 

Rodgers expects Sturridge to return to training in September but accepts it may be a while before he is ready to lead the line again in competitive action. 

'We hope he is available to train in September and then it is about getting his fitness in,' he added.

'It is not just about fitness but football fitness and that takes a bit of time. Obviously it is a long period of time out but we hope the problem and issues have been resolved with the operation.

'The important thing will be to let him recover, work hard in his rehab and we have great support from our owners in that he is able to go to the world's leading specialists in America.' 

Manchester City WILL give Yaya Toure birthday cake this year as Manuel Pellegrini refuses to talk about the midfielder's future

• Man City were accused of disrespecting Yaya Toure on his 31st birthday
• The midfielder's agent Dimitri Seluk made the claims last year
• Toure, who has been linked with a move to Inter Milan, turns 32 on May 13 
• Manuel Pellegrini joked there won't be a repeat of cake-gate this season

Manuel Pellegrini has played down a potential feud with Yaya Toure by joking he will present the unsettled Manchester City star with a birthday cake this week.

Toure turns 32 on Wednesday, a year after he was reportedly upset that the club failed to present him with a celebratory cake.

Toure’s controversial agent Dimitri Seluk seemed to fan the flames of a dispute between club and player this week when he claimed his client was '90 per cent' certain to leave the Etihad this summer.

Manchester City were accused of disrespecting midfielder Yaya Toure on his 31st birthday last year 

But while Pellegrini refused to be drawn into a war of words with Seluk, he did guarantee there will be no cake-gate mistake on Wednesday.

Pellegrini joked: 'Are you sure his birthday is next week?

'We will have to see what the best thing to do is because I think it it important to learn from your mistakes in the past.

'We will talk about next season in the right moment.

'Everyone at this moment can say what they want about rumours. I have never answered to Yaya’s agent so I will not do it now.

'Yaya has a contract here for two years more so in this moment we are only thinking about the best way to finish the season then we will see what happens next season.

City boss Manuel Pellegrini has joked there won't be a repeat of cake-gate this year when Toure turns 32

'I’m not disappointed because everyone can talk about what we think is better for him but we’re all focusing on our team and what the agent thinks is not my problem.'

City face QPR on Sunday without Samir Nasri whose groin injury has ruled him out for the season but with skipper Vincent Kompany back after injury, Pellegrini is banking on the Belgian defender helping to secure a second-placed finish.

He said: 'Vincent is just coming back from a muscle injury. I think for him it’ s important for him to try to recover his normal performance. We will see what happens between now and the end of the season.

'It is important to finish well. We have won three games in a row and we have three games more. It’s important for our team to try to win all the games.

'But it doesn’t just depend on our team if we’re going to finish second or not. If Arsenal win all their games, they are going to finish second.' 

Last year, Seluk accused City of making Toure 'very upset' on his 31st birthday and suggested the midfielder was seeking a move away from the Premier League club.

‘There is a big possibility that Yaya will leave this summer,’ he said in May 2014. ‘He is very upset. What happened at his birthday means the club don’t care about him. It was proof. 

The former Real Madrid manager refused to talk about unsettled Toure's future at the club

‘In a normal team, his team-mates and club would at least give him good wishes. But when you have a big party to celebrate the title and no one comes to Yaya to say happy birthday, what more do you want?

‘He got a cake but when it was Roberto Carlos’s birthday, the president of Anzhi gave him a Bugatti.

‘The club’s owners ate a 100kg cake after winning the Premier League but when they and the players were all together, none of them shook his hand on his birthday. It shows they don’t care about him. This isn’t about a new contract — it’s about human relationships and City have shown they don’t respect him.'

Manchester United target Edinson Cavani reveals he could leave PSG in summer after admitting ‘I want to play as a striker'

• Edinson Cavani has been linked with a move to Man United and Juventus
• The Uruguayan arrived at PSG from Serie A side Napoli in 2013
• Cavani has played out wide for much of the season under Laurent Blanc
• Former Palermo striker hints at move by revealing 'I might leave'

Edinson Cavani has admitted he might leave Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season in developments likely to stir those at Manchester United.

Louis van Gaal’s side are willing to spend big this summer and have already captured Holland forward Memphis Depay for £25million.

Cavani has operated out wide for much of the campaign under Laurent Blanc, something to come as a source of frustration for the Uruguayan.

PSG striker Edinson Cavani arrived at the club from Napoli in 2013 but has been deployed as a winger 

And he has added fuel to talk that United, or Serie A champions Juventus, could swoop.

‘I don't know whether I will stay at PSG. I might stay, I might leave... You never know what will happen in football,’ Cavani told GQ.

‘When I arrived at PSG, I was forced to play on the wing. People don't understand how much that has influenced my performances. I would score a lot more if I was played as a striker.

‘I want to play as a striker. I would without a doubt do much better in my own position.’

Meanwhile, Blanc has expressed his interest of moving overseas - with Spain as his first destination.

‘I am happy in Paris, but yes, I am interest by other leagues in Europe,’ Blanc admitted.

‘In terms of football, I watch quite a lot games from the Spanish League.’

United have already captured Holland forward Memphis Depay and could add Cavani to their ranks