Liverpool Transfer Rumour: Ajax Amsterdam interested in Reds' outcast Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli, the man who has been deemed surplus to requirement by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, has still got some prospective offers to reshape his career. Liverpool may not have qualified for UEFA Champions League, but the player they are trying to offload may soon move to a club vying in the European event.
If reports from Di Marzio are to be believed, the Italian striker is wanted by Dutch giants Ajax. Ajax are due to play the Champions League qualifiers and sees the experienced striker a good addition to their squad, should they make it to the group stage. His agent, Mino Raiola, is busy to seal a world record transfer for Paul Pogba and is expected to wrap up a deal for the Italian subsequently.
It is also rumored that Raiola is negotiating a deal with Napoli as well. With the departure of Gonzalo Higuain, Napoli is currently in search of a striker. However, a potential problem for Raiola is the reputation of the player which doesn’t seem to convince them and a deal might not be in the frame.
Liverpool’s boss cleared his stance regarding the talented forward declaring that he doesn’t see the Italian having any further role at Liverpool. However, Klopp also thinks that the striker still has plenty to deliver as a footballer but should be playing regularly at other clubs rather than competing for a starting XI spot at the Anfield.
Also read: Wouldn't spend 100m pounds on one player: Liverpool manager Klopp
As soon as the striker was made available, there were reports that Turkish champion Besiktas will be happy to have the Italian in their squad. Expressing his desire, club president Fikret Orman told Turkish magazine Fanatik:
“Mario Balotelli is the type of footballer that our fans can associate themselves with,”
“I’m pretty sure he would attract great attention. To be fair, if he wasn’t deemed as a trouble-maker, he wouldn’t be rumored to be joining us.”
“But we can show some effort and create solutions for Balotelli’s infamous troubles. I think he can change with the attention and care he’ll receive in Turkey.
“In short, we want Mario Balotelli and he wants us too.”
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Arriving from AC Milan in a £16 million move, back in 2014, the 25-year-old striker has experienced a dreadful spell at the Anfield so far. Finding the back of the net, just 4 times in 28 appearances, he was loaned back to AC Milan for the entire season. There also he could only manage 3 in 23 games and AC Milan was forced to end his loan spell.
It’s almost certain that his Anfield career is all but over and a transfer is imminent. However, Raiola seems to be delivering his magic once again in this transfer window and if the deal gets materialized, it will surely be one last opportunity for the highly talented striker to mark his authority once again.