Monday, 22nd July, 2013

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted Pepe Reina’s loan switch to Napoli is about reducing the club’s wage bill.

The Reds are sending the Spain international custodian on a season-long loan to the Serie A side and are believed to be subsidising a portion of his wages.



Liverpool signed Simon Mignolet from Sunderland earlier this summer and the Belgian will replace Reina between the sticks at Anfield.

And Rodgers is clear that cold hard cash is the reason for the Spaniard’s departure.

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"Financially it is something we needed to look at", he was quoted as saying by the Liverpool Echo.

"That would be the reason because obviously you wouldn’t move on a top goalkeeper.

"It reared its head over the last few months and I had to prepare for it by bringing in a new goalkeeper."

Reina joined Liverpool in 2005, switching to the then-European champions from La Liga outfit Villarreal.

The Spaniard quickly established himself as one of the finest custodians in the Premier League.

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