In an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca, Mario Balotelli’s agent Mino Raiola has clarified the situation surrounding the Liverpool striker’s rumoured move to Turkish club Besiktas.
Raiola was quoted earlier this week as saying he had offered the player to the Turkish champions but in Marca, he said he had been contacted by a journalist disguised as the president of Besiktas and from that the story about the Italian being offered emerged:
“His last year was quiet. Nobody talked about his behaviour, He has not had any bad episode professionally. The problem has been injuries that have prevented him from being at his best. With Turkey? a Lie. A journalist called me posing as the president of Besiktas … they invent everything. He must go back to Liverpool and speak to Klopp, who is his coach.”
It looks almost certain then that the Italian will return to Liverpool for pre-season training. Whether he will play another much for the Reds though is debatable. The striker is believed to want to stay in Europe but the most likely offers will come from the Chinese Super League. Other options include Sampdoria and Fiorentina but these would likely be loan offers, which Liverpool may not accept as they seek to sell the player on a permanent basis.
