After failing to earn himself a permanent deal at AC Milan, Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli is back at Melwood and training under the watchful eye of Reds boss Jurgen Klopp with the rest of the squad. Although he’s fully expected to leave Anfield this summer, the German boss and his team are doing their best to whip him in to shape should any potential suitors come calling for the troublesome 25-year old.
While there was talk late last month of a move to Turkish champions Besiktas, rumours of a move to the Black Eagles has all but died out with the club president making it clear that he’s had no conversations with his agent regarding bringing Balotelli into the fold. Now, that may be true and that may not be true, but the fact of the matter is that Liverpool need to find a home for him and fast. With the once lucrative offers from China reportedly drying up, his prospects are looking increasingly dim, but there’s one club that have yet to dismiss the idea of signing him up.
“Balotelli is Balotelli’s worst enemy,” said Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero. “Like (Antonio) Cassano is Cassano’s worst enemy. He’s a great player whose been stuck back in the 1960s,” explained the eccentirc Italian. “He could relaunch [his career] at a passionate club like ours, but he’s still a bit confused. I’ve tried to tell him to come to Samp because he’s a great talent.”
After rejecting the chance to join the Genoese club on loan last summer, Balotelli ended up making a surprise return to the San Siro Stadium on loan, but a combination of injury problems and poor performances on the pitch saw the Rossoneri pass on the chance to resign him on a permanent basis. The likelihood of an outright sale to Sampdoria seems slim — chances are that they’d be able to afford anywhere near the £16mil that Liverpool paid to bring him to Anfield, nor could they afford his massive wages. If nothing else, the 25-year old could leave on loan with the Reds once again subsidizing a large chunk of his wages.
