Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers: 'Mario Balotelli is going nowhere'

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has reiterated that the club have no plans to sell striker Mario Balotelli this month.

The controversial Italy international has been repeatedly linked with a move back to Serie A after scoring just twice for Liverpool since his £16m move from AC Milan in September.

Earlier this week, Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini, who has coached Balotelli at two separate clubs before, urged the striker to wake up and realise that he is "wasting everything".

In this afternoon's press conference, Rodgers said: "Roberto knows him very well. I think he said if you work with Mario you should be paid double, I agree with that. I will mention that to the owners!

"Joking aside, Mario is a good guy. He hasn't scored as many goals as he would have liked, but we are determined to help him find a solution here. He won't be going anywhere in January."

Liverpool will face Aston Villa away on Saturday.