Liverpool are prepared to sell Martin Skrtel this summer. The Daily Star Sunday says Manchester City will be first in the queue to snap up the Slovakian star for £20million with boss ­Roberto Mancini determined to make his solid defence even more impregnable.

Initially, the thought of losing Skrtel filled Liverpool with dread but it is dawning on them that £20m would be good business.

Liverpool have plenty of other options with the Anfield hierarchy hugely impressed by Sebastian Coates.

Martin Kelly has bags of potential as a central defender and Jamie Carragher is still around.