ANY faint hopes Mario Balotelli had of reviving his Liverpool career under new Reds boss Jurgen Klopp have been well and truly ended after the German made it clear the controversial striker wasn’t in his future plans.
The news will no doubt come as a relief to Liverpool fans who never really took to the Italian following his arrival from AC Milan in 2014.
Balotelli – who endured a torrid and injury-hit time at Anfield – managed just four goals in 28 appearances for the Premier League side last season and was widely criticised for his lack of application.
As a result he was loaned back to Milan but has failed to impress this campaign and has again had his work rate questioned. The Italian club are unlikely to make the move permanent in the summer and Liverpool – who are still paying a significant chunk of his £80,000 per week salary – are determined to off-load the controversial frontman on a permanent basis, with the Chinese Super League a possible destination.
As The Telegraph reports: “A lucrative move to the Chinese Super League is a serious possibility for Balotelli with clubs in the Far East having already enquired about securing a deal for the 25-year-old.
There has also been interest from Turkey with Liverpool hopeful of recouping most of the £16million they paid Milan for his signature in August 2014.”
Ballotelli had hoped for a fresh start at Liverpool following the appointment of Klopp but that was never going to be the case with the striker clearly unsuitable to the kind of high-intensity pressing game the German is looking to adopt.
And, while we think £16m is far too much for a player who has always had potential but has never really delivered on a consistent basis and remains a ticking time bomb, if there’s one league that will come close to paying that it’s the Chinese Super League.
It’s doubtful another big European club would take a punt on Balotelli – he’s had more than enough chances – so a switch to China may well be on the cards.
Good news for Reds fans then? Or would you like to see Klopp give Balotelli one final chance?
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