Raheem Sterling: 'Mario Balotelli can replace Luis Suarez'

Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling has tipped Mario Balotelli to fill the void left by Luis Suarez's exit.

The Italy international joined the Reds from AC Milan for around £16m on Monday, and the 19-year-old thinks that the former Manchester City star can help compensate for Suarez's £75m switch to Barcelona.

He told FourFourTwo: "He's a massive player. The manager has brought him in and it's exciting times for Liverpool. This is a step forward after losing Luis at the start of the season.

"[Balotelli] has come in to try and fill the void left by Luis and I think he has the qualities to do so. I'm looking forward to working with him and I think he can be an important player for the club.

"Obviously we lost a goalscorer in Luis so it's something we're going to need to replace. He'll also bring a presence on the pitch, especially up front, as part of our attack."

Liverpool travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.