Klopp not interested in Raiola slight

Klopp made it clear the 26-year-old was not part of his plans and he spent his closing days on Merseyside training with the youth team – prompting Raiola to brand the German "a piece of s***".

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on the touchline.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp laughed off criticism levelled at him from outspoken agent Mino Raiola over his treatment of Mario Balotelli.

Italy striker Balotelli ended an unhappy stay at Liverpool by securing a deadline-day move to Nice last week. Klopp made it clear the 26-year-old was not part of his plans and he spent his closing days on Merseyside training with the youth team – prompting Raiola to brand the German "a piece of s***".

At a pre-match news conference for Liverpool's Premier League match against champion Leicester City, when asked what scale of upset the barb had caused him, Klopp replied: "0.0." He added with a chuckle: "I know him. That's all. Not interested, all good. It's a free world."

Another player to have seemingly fallen foul of Klopp is Mamadou Sakho, who was linked with a move away from the club during the transfer window after being sent home from Liverpool's pre-season tour.

Sakho, who served a suspension for failing a drugs test last season before UEFA opted against extending his punishment, is now behind Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan in the pecking order for centre-back places, but Klopp insists he has no problem with the player.

"We spoke about that before the window shut and that's what I did," he says. "Now the squad is clear and we can't change anything. He doesn''t have to gain my trust. He didn't play for a long time. Then you think how can you get match time? Now it's about making Mama fit after a long time out. Then we will see what happens."