Serie A club Fiorentina are considering a straight player swap between their striker Mario Gomez and Liverpool's Mario Balotelli according to The Express.

The Reds are reportedly keen on the 30-year-old Germany international and would like to ship off Balotelli, who has failed to impress since his £16million transfer from AC Milan last season.

In response to the interest in Gomez, La Viola director general Andrea Rogg said: "He is a great champion and can continue to improve.

"We received more than one offer for Gomez and we're evaluating them with the player. The Turkish option? Yes, that's in there too.

"Mario has a certain price-tag that is tied to his career, so we must find the right balance. If not, it means we'll have a champion in our squad who we will continue to work with."

Turkish outfit Besiktas have also reportedly bid £5.6m to secure the services of the German.