Rumour: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger ready to sanction bid for Milan’s Mario Balotelli

AC Milan’s Mario Balotelli

Arsene Wenger could be looking to ease the burden on Olivier Giroud by bringing in former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli.

The Daily Star report that Wenger could sanction a bid in the region of £25 million.

Balotelli’s time in Milan, much like his time in Manchester has been mixed to say the least. His goal-scoring record for AC Milan is very impressive (26 in 42) but a lot of those have come from dead-ball situations and once again question marks have started to arise about his work-rate off the ball.

This was a regular problem during his time at Manchester City and it brought him the tag of being ‘lazy’. It also brought him to blows with City boss Roberto Mancini who finally admitted he had made a mistake with Balotelli, selling him to Milan.

The Italian club’s owner Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian Prime Minister, has now signalled that he has given up with Balotelli saying “Balotelli cannot play like this. He did not understand.”

The talent is there, that is undeniable but with Balotelli the application has always been a little more elusive. If he ever wants to be taken seriously he needs to settle on a club and really knuckle down.