Andre Pirlo backs Liverpool's Mario Balotelli to prove his potential

Andrea Pirlo (left) and Mario Balotelli on Italy duty

Andrea Pirlo thinks Mario Balotelli can still be one of the "top forwards in Europe" despite his struggles at Liverpool.

The 24-year-old scored just four goals in 28 appearances for Liverpool last season after joining for £16m from AC Milan.

He is expected to leave Anfield this summer after being left out of the pre-season tour to Finland and attracting interest from Serie A.

However, Pirlo, who has played alongside Balotelli at international level for Italy, still thinks he has the potential to reach the top.

"He made mistakes when he was younger, he knows this," Pirlo told shortlist.com. "But I hope next season goes well for him, because I still believe he has all the attributes to be one of the top forwards in Europe.

"I’ll tell you that Mario is one of the nicest guys you will meet. I used to walk into training in Italy and even before he said something I could just look at his face and I would start laughing. There are never boring moments when Mario is around."

While Balotelli looks to be on the move this summer, Pirlo has already completed his transfer from Juventus to New York City.

It is the first time the 36-year-old has played for a club outside of Italy, although he did come close to moving to the Premier League in the past.

"Occasionally you meet somebody in life who is not your father, but you look at them as a father, and Carlo (Ancelotti) was that man for me," he explained.

"When he was at Chelsea we had many calls about me joining him. I was interested, and there were discussions in the club. The fee was the ultimate issue, though – Milan wanted a Chelsea player in exchange and no agreement could be reached."

The World Cup winner will now be playing alongside former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard in the Big Apple and against LA Galaxy's Steven Gerrard, who he could have played with at Milan.

"Carlo tried to sign him for Milan so we could play together, but he had no interest in leaving Liverpool," revealed Pirlo.

"That night in Istanbul, Liverpool’s fight back was centralised on Steven Gerrard. He was their leader, their star player, their man who made it happen. 

"We could have played together, but now in MLS we will be playing against each other, and I will look forward to that.

"Throughout his career, Frank has positioned himself as one of the greatest goal-scoring midfield players of the generation. Often his tally for the season would be what you would expect from a forward. I am sure we can come to some agreement on set pieces."

While Pirlo was full of praise for Gerrard and Lampard, he also singled out Paul Scholes for his technical ability.

"Paul Scholes was technically one of the best I have seen – not just one of the best Englishmen, but quite simply just one of the best," he said.

"There was a point when England had Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard, and that was the stage when you looked at England and thought they could really win something."

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Rickie Lambert set to make transfer to West Brom from Liverpool

Rickie Lambert: On his way to West Brom

Rickie Lambert will undergo a medical at West Brom on Friday after a deal was agreed to sign the former England striker from Liverpool.

Lambert struggled to make an impact at Anfield following his arrival last summer and has been deemed surplus to requirements following the arrivals of Christian Benteke, Danny Ings and Roberto Firminho.

The former Southampton striker will undergo his medical with the Baggies on Friday and provided he passes, he will join the club later the same day.

Baggies boss Tony Pulis completed the signing of James Chester from Hull City on Wednesday and is hopeful of following up that business with the capture of Lambert.

On Thursday Pulis told the Birmingham Mail: "Rickie is available. Liverpool have made that known. We'd be interested.

"It's very important that we get players who will score goals. Rickie's got a great goal-scoring record.

"From what I can gather from people at Liverpool, his fitness levels are very, very good, and he is desperate to play football.

"He didn't play last year so it's like bringing a brand new car out of the garage if we did sign him. Just putting a bit of petrol in it and letting it run."

Lambert had just two Premier League goals to his name from 25 games for Liverpool last season, 18 of those off the substitutes' bench.

But the 33-year-old was more prolific at previous club Southampton where he totalled 106 goals from 207 league appearances from August 2009 until June 2014.

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Sky Sports live fixtures: Huge Premier League derbies added

Chelsea: Premier League champions televised five more times

The televised Premier League fixtures for October and November have been announced, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham all on five times.

Sky Sports have announced 22 further televised fixtures, taking their total to 46 in the opening four months of the season.

Every club will have been televised at least twice and last season’s top four sides six or more times each before the end of November.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham will all be shown three times by Sky Sports over October and November alone.

Bt Sport, meanwhile, have announced six more televised fixtures, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham all set to be shown twice in October and November by the broadcaster.

October

Sat 3: Crystal Palace v West Bromwich Albion (BT Sport, 12.45pm)

Sat 3: Chelsea v Southampton (5.30pm)

Sun 4: Everton v Liverpool (1.30pm)

Sun 4: Arsenal v Manchester United (4pm)

Sat 17: Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool (BT Sport, 12.45pm)

Sat 17: Watford v Arsenal (5.30pm)

Sun 18: Newcastle United v Norwich City (4pm)

Mon 19: Swansea City v Stoke City (8pm)

Sat 24: Arsenal v Everton (5.30pm)

Sun 25: Sunderland v Newcastle United (12noon)

Sun 25: Manchester United v Manchester City (2.05pm)

Sun 25: Liverpool v Southampton (4.15pm)

Sat 31: Chelsea v Liverpool (BT Sport, 12.45pm)

November

Sun 1: Everton v Sunderland (1.30pm)

Sun 1: Southampton v Bournemouth (4pm)

Mon 2: Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa (8pm)

Sat 7: Bournemouth v Newcastle United (BT Sport, 12.45pm)

Sat 7: Stoke City v Chelsea (5.30pm)

Sun 8: Aston Villa v Manchester City (1.30pm)

Sun 8: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm)

Sat 21: Watford v Manchester United (BT Sport, 12.45pm)

Sat 21: Manchester City v Liverpool (5.30pm)

Sun 22: Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (4pm)

Mon 23: Crystal Palace v Sunderland (8pm)

Sat 28: Leicester City v Manchester United (5.30pm)

Sun 29: Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea (BT Sport, 12pm)

Sun 29: West Ham United v West Bromwich Albion (2.05pm)

Sun 29: Norwich City v Arsenal (4.15pm)

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Gossip: Liverpool trio cut adrift by Rodgers

Mario Balotelli: Told he has no future at Liverpool

Mario Balotelli frozen out by Liverpool, a £10m striker set for West Ham and Angel Di Maria set for PSG are Friday's main newspaper rumours.

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)

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