January brings some unpleasant things with it: the end of the holidays, cold weather (in some areas), and soon-to-be-unfulfilled New Year’s Resolutions (mostly seen in overcrowded gyms). But it also brings us the re-opening of the transfer window, which creates all kinds of sensational rumors. The latest being that Italian striker Mario Balotelli will leave Liverpool and return to Italy to join league leaders Juventus on loan for the remainder of the season.
While Juve has officially denied any interest in the mercurial forward for fear of upsetting the club’s chemistry, it does make for an interesting discussion. Balotelli has really struggled since moving to Anfield this summer for £16 million pounds, scoring a Fernando Torres-esque two goals for the Reds, neither of which were in the Premier League. There have been reports of him clashing with Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, who recently admitted that Liverpool’s high-tempo style of play isn’t a perfect match for Balotelli’s in-the-box skills (perhaps this is something that they could have figured out BEFORE they bought him, but I digress). At this point in the season, it is clear that Balotelli is far from guaranteed a place in the starting 11, so while it would be surprising if Liverpool were to give up on the talented striker this quickly, if it’s not working out...why wait?
Dejection has been Balotelli's most common emotion on Merseyside this season.
A move back to Italy seems logical. Balotelli is Italian, and was successful during his previous runs at AC Milan and Inter Milan. Balotelli does have some history with Juventus, however, and it’s not something he’ll look back on fondly. Back in 2009, while playing for Inter, Balotelli was subjected to a series of racist chants from Juventus fans during a match. Could Mario forgive the Juve fans after such despicable behavior?
Balotelli’s struggles this season have been surprising. There are claims that he has been injured, which if true, would help explain his lack of dominance on the pitch. That being said, if he truly was injured, you would think Liverpool would be putting that information out there to justify such a disappointing summer signing. At least it would inflate his transfer value. When he is on the top of his game, Balotelli looks like one of the best strikers in the world. Even when he’s not at his best in open play, Balotelli has been one of the best penalty takers in the world, who scored on his first twenty-six kicks from the spot before his first miss. But when he’s off his game and disruptive, managers cannot get him out of their club fast enough. This is the player that Jose Mourinho once called “unmanageable” after all.
More than likely, this story is probably nothing more than a transfer rumor, one of many that we’ll hear about between now and the closing of the transfer window at the end of the month. And why would Juventus, currently leading Seria A, bring in such a volatile presence that could wreck its locker room? We shall find out whether there is a kernel of truth to this juicy rumor as the transfer window slowly shuts over the next few weeks, but it is definitely something to continue to monitor.
Follow Mike Smith on Twitter @thefootiegent
He still believes in Super Mario...wherever he may be
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