Liverpool defender Kolo Toure is close to agreeing an extension to his contract which expires next month.
The former Ivory Coast international is likely to agree a new 12-month term having wavered over whether to commit with more lucrative offers coming in from overseas. However, the 34-year-old is keen to finish his career in England and wants to stay at Liverpool.
“I think the situation will be resolved soon. There are few things more but we will see,” he said.
“Liverpool is a great club for me to stay at. Liverpool is going to be massive. I love Premier League football and I played all my years here and if I can finish here (Liverpool) it would be great.
“My kids go to school here and they are half-English and that is important as well. I play for Liverpool right now and I am very happy and if it was to carry on, I’d be more than happy.”
While Toure is looking to stay on at Anfield others will be leaving.
Fellow defender Glen Johnson, left out of the squad for the shambolic 6-1 defeat at Stoke, has not agreed a new contract and is off to pastures new.
Yesterday he tweeted: “A big thank you to all the people out there who have genuinely supported me through the last six years. #200 #NewChapter.”
Goalkeeper Brad Jones has also not been offered a new deal while the likes of Rickie Lambert, Fabio Borini and Javi Manquillo – who still has one year left of his loan from Atletico Madrid – all face an exit after a lack of first-team football.
Then there is striker Mario Balotelli, brought in late last August for £16 million but who failed to fit in and scored only four goals – one in the Premier League – in 28 appearances.
Unavailable for the Stoke game due to injury he tweeted yesterday: “Thanks to Liverpool fans for this year... I’m loading for next season.”
This is all before the thorny subject of Raheem Sterling and his contract issues are even tackled.
The 20-year-old was dropped for the first time in 18 matches at Stoke and was abused by fans but if there was ever a day to be an unused substitute it was at the Britannia.