Liverpool Transfer News: Napoli's £10 Million Martin Skrtel Bid Rejected

by Joseph Dempsey

BBC. The Anfield club were contacted on Tuesday over the availability of the Slovakian centre-back with new Napoli manager Rafa Benitez keen on being reunited with the 28-year-old. Benitez signed Skrtel from Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2008 during his time as Liverpool boss. Since then, the defender has gone on to make more than 200 appearances for the Reds and won the League Cup in 2012. However, in recent times, he has fallen down the pecking order under new manager Brendan Rodgers, and was limited to just 25 Premier League appearances last season. And the arrival of Kolo Toure on a free from Manchester City has only served to provide Skrtel with yet more competition for places in the starting XI. Liverpool have refused to comment on the Italian's approach, but are understood to be wary of selling the centre-back due to the serious knee injury sustained by Sebastian Coates. Coates, 22, is also deemed surplus to requirement at Anfield but the injury means that it is unlikely he will leave Merseyside this summer and Skrtel's experience is therefore required. Meanwhile, Liverpool completed a deal to sign 25-year-old left-back Aly Cissokho on a season-long loan from Valencia earlier this week.

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Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.