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Kolo Toure hopeful of signing new Liverpool contract soon

Liverpool defender Kolo Toure is close to agreeing an extension to his contract which expires next month.

Toure, 34, is likely to agree a new one-year deal, despite having wavered over whether to commit with more lucrative offers coming in from abroad.

The former Ivory Coast international said he is keen to finish his career in England and wants to stay at Liverpool.

"I think the situation will be resolved soon. We are talking. There are few things more but we will see," he told Press Association Sport.

"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 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 next month.

Fellow defender Glen Johnson, left out of the squad for the 6-1 defeat at Stoke on Sunday, has not agreed a new contract and is set for an exit.

Goalkeeper Brad Jones has also not been offered a new deal, while the likes of Rickie Lambert, Fabio Borini and Javier Manquillo -- who still has one year left remaining on his loan deal from Atletico Madrid -- all face an exit after a lack of first-team football.

Mario Balotelli may also move on after scoring only four goals -- one in the Premier League -- in 28 appearances following his £16 million signing last summer.

Unavailable for the Stoke game due to injury, Balotelli took to Twitter afterwards to thank supporters for their support this season.

Raheem Sterling has also been linked with a summer exit, having failed to agree a new Liverpool contract, with the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal said to be interested.

The 20-year-old was dropped for the first time in 18 matches at Stoke and was abused by fans.

"It is not a great finish to the season and it is difficult to find words at the end of that. There are no words," Toure said of the Stoke defeat.

"We were expecting a better result, for Liverpool Football Club and Stevie [Gerrard] as well for what he has done. We wanted to do better for him. Why it finished like that we don't know. The talent is there."