Revealed: Jurgen Klopp doesn’t want this misbehaving player at Liverpool
Apr 6, 2016 at 1:44 PM
If there was any doubt that Mario Balotelli will not be at Liverpool next season, just look into a short passage from a 2016 book on Jurgen Klopp by Elmar Neveling. The passage makes the German’s exact view on misbehaving players quite clear.
And it most likely suggests curtains for Balotelli, who has been enduring a frustrating loan spell at Milan all season after a dreadful 2014/15 campaign at Anfield.
A page from ‘Jurgen Klopp’ was shared on Reddit by a Liverpool supporter and it refers to the former Borussia Dortmund manager’s response to an incident in which Balotelli intentionally threw a dart at an academy player at Manchester City in 2011.
“When the subject of Italy forward Mario Balotelli, who while at Manchester City threw a dart at a youth-team player, came up, Klopp didn’t mince his words.
“If one of his players pulled a stunt like that ‘they would never wear this club’s shirt again. He won’t get a second chance to make a mistake like that: “Look, you might be able to play, but I don’t want to see your face again.” Not when we’ve got so many lads who are a joy to work with.”
Balotelli’s agent Mino Raiola last month confirmed, the Italian striker is doing all he can to earn a permanent move back to the San Siro this summer. The 25-year-old has only played three matches all season because of injury, scoring only once.
However last week a report from Italian media claimed the 25-year-old has now become the subject of interest from the Chinese Super League, with powerhouses Jiangsu Suning desperately looking into the possibility of bringing in the controversial Italian to bolster their ranks in a big-money summer move.
This latest report certainly came with a welcome music to Liverpool’s ears, as club hierarchy was really worried that they would have to stick with a dead weight next season when Balotelli’s Milan loan ends. Very few European teams are ready or able to match the Italian’s high wages following a series of disappointing seasons.
Liverpool are likely to grab any interest they can find for Balotelli, whose return of just four goals in 28 matches (including just a single league goal) in his only season at Anfield apparently gave a paltry return on his £16m transfer fee.
Liverpool may also be hoping to finally get some use out of the rapid rise of the Chinese Super League, having previously been beaten by the Chinese League’s transfer moves when Alex Teixeira turned down a potential move to Anfield for Jiangsu himself – joining Ramires, Jackson Martinez, and Ezequiel Lavezzi in the league.