Reina set for surprise Napoli loan

Pepe Reina is on the brink of rejoining his former boss Rafa Benitez at Napoli, as the Serie A side close in on a loan for the Spanish international keeper.

Reina's departure is hardly a surprise, although the destination and lack of a transfer fee will raise some eyebrows given it had been widely presumed earlier in the summer that he'd be making a permanent move to Barcelona for a fee of around £10m.

Victor Valdes' decision to remain at Camp Nou for another season scuppered Reina's hopes of a return to the club where he first made his name however, and Liverpool's capture of highly rated Simon Mignolet meant that he had no future at Anfield, despite the claims of Brendan Rodgers that Mignolet had been signed to provide healthy competition for Reina and he had not decided who would be his first choice.

In a world cup year neither Mignolet nor Reina can afford to be sat on the bench so something had to give, and it was never going to be the £11m new boy that was departing.  Liverpool would have preferred a permanent deal, but Reina's hefty salary scary off would be suitors and the player himself perhaps unwilling to give up on his Barcelona dream just yet, the Reds have reluctantly had to settle for a loan deal that whilst not bringing in the hefty transfer fee they'd like will at least save them around £4m a year in wages.