Mario Balotelli

[moof]

Well since the reading debacle. So basically all the stuff that counts.

[xerxes]

Mario would have been a cult hero here, after Jaws he would have been a breeze.

[Section_31]

He's a clown, that's not what we need.

 

Our strength last season was consistency, better to have ten 7/10 quality players who bust a gut week in and week out, than a side built around a 9/10 player who scores a hat trick one week and spends the next week thinking about The Moomins and his favourite dancing shoes. We've been there before, the 90s.

[Captain]

Mario would have been a cult hero here, after Jaws he would have been a breeze.

 

Just like Meijer.

[WhiskeyJar]

Liverpool have ramped up their interest in Mario Balotelli by making a £17.6million offer to AC Milan for his signature, according to reports in Italy.

 

Balotelli has been made available for transfer this summer by Milan, with the Serie A team looking to trim their wage bill, and the Reds have been heavily linked.

 

Brendan Rodgers has previously made no secret of his interest in the player, and now Sport Mediaset say an official £17.6million bid has gone in.

 

The report says the offer is £2million short of Milan’s asking price, but that the club are so keen to sell, it is still being considered.

 

http://metro.co.uk/2014/08/20/liverpool-make-17-6million-transfer-offer-for-ac-milan-striker-mario-balotelli-4839609/

[WhiskeyJar]

Reports earlier today suggested that the Reds had submitted a bid for the Milan star.

 

Italian media outlet Sportmediaset claimed that Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers had offered the Serie A giants £17.5m for the former Inter Milan striker.

 

But Milan CEO Adriano Galliani has rubbished those reports, and insisted that they have not received any offers for their star striker.

 

He said: "At the moment no offer has arrived from Liverpool for Balotelli so there are no negotiations.. the [transfer] window closes on September 1 so we'll see."

 

The Reds are currently in the market for a new centre-forward following the departure of Luis Suarez to Barcelona last month.

 

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/395436/Liverpool-HAVE-NOT-made-a-bid-for-Arsenal-target-striker-Mario-Balotelli

[J-V]

The bids going down by the minute.

[an tha]

Might not be a popular view here, but I say take him.

 

He will need to work hard and behave - but I believe there might just be a very good player there.

 

Worth noting he is still only 24, if he is going to become a really top player then it will happen in the next couple of years or so... It is worth the risk in my opinion - he has knocked in 26 league goals in 43 games for what is a shite Milan team.

[TheHowieLama]

He'll be free in another week

[mattyq]

I'm coming round to the idea not that i think it'll happen

[Lee909]

 

Fabio Borini has revealed how a conversation with Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli helped convince him Liverpool fans were the most passionate in England and that playing at Anfield would be a 'beautiful experience'.

 

 

And despite having played in front the Anfield crowd just twice since arriving at the Etihad in August 2011, the City man gave the Kop faithful a glowing reference.

 

"The fans played a big part (in me joining Liverpool)," Borini told FourFourTwo magazine. "When I was with Italy at Euro 2012, I was talking to Balotelli about England, and he told me that Liverpool had the most exciting fans to play in front of.

 

"He described it as a beautiful experience

 

 

[JoeyJones65]

 

The guy is trouble, but I get the feeling that Brendan Rodgers could get the best out of him.

 

A better option than Borini who is made of rice paper, and doesn't score nearly enough to be a serious contender to fill the gaping void when Sturridge is out.

[JustTosh]

One of the most talented players in the world. Total lunatic however. If he'd grow up and give his best for the team on the pitch, he'd be amazing. Someone has to straighten his head though. If not he'd be a waste of money.

 

 

I'd take him and pray someone could get his brain sorted. Worth the risk as the upside might be no 19 coming home. Huge risk, but one worth taking

 

[TheHowieLama]

I'm coming round to the idea not that i think it'll happen

 

He will be a great player to miss out on on the last day of the window.

[Harry Squatter]

Swop him with Borini and throw in Lucas

[Russ Atmosphere]

He will be a great player to miss out on on the last day of the window.

I still say there will be better players out there to miss out on.

[Section_31]

Just don't see the point in signing someone so clearly unstable and unpredictable. As I said on another thread. We went for years where our Achilles heel was not knowing how our players would perform from one game to the next, beat Arsenal one week then turn in a non-performance against Villa the next. One of our strengths last season was that we were consistent. Don't see the point in signing a player who'll give you one outstanding game then three or four average ones, not to mention all the mental shit imbetween. Also, is he really the kind of dressing room influence you want among young players?

[TheHowieLama]

He is a young player isn't he?

[Bjornebye]

Just don't see the point in signing someone so clearly unstable and unpredictable. As I said on another thread. We went for years where our Achilles heel was not knowing how our players would perform from one game to the next, beat Arsenal one week then turn in a non-performance against Villa the next. One of our strengths last season was that we were consistent. Don't see the point in signing a player who'll give you one outstanding game then three or four average ones, not to mention all the mental shit imbetween. Also, is he really the kind of dressing room influence you want among young players?

 

[Bjornebye]

I'm all for him

 

[Bjornebye]

He is a young player isn't he?

 

[TheHowieLama]

Looks fat there, a bit Bony tbh.

[FanchesterCity]

He was (for us) the sort of player who looked like a world beater 1 in 10 games.  For 5 out of ten games he looked out of sorts. For the remaining 4 games he was typically an accident waiting to happen.

 

There's a reason he keeps getting moved on. 

 

Mancini was allegedly a close family friend - a father figure of sorts - but still he was constantly let down by Balo.

 

All of that said, he was a likeable lad. He never came across as a nasty arrogant sort of player, just a mixed up millionaire.

 

Of course he's a better option than many alternatives, but he's not as good an option as keeping the money in your pocket and saving up for a proper reliable striker.

 

Balo is the sort of buy you make when you set out to by a decent BMW 330d that's sport and reliable... but you realise you can't afford right now, so buy an Insignia Sri on impulse instead.

You feel good having bought it, but you'll regret it rapidly.

[Trumo]

Italian media outlet Sportmediaset claimed that Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers had offered the Serie A giants £17.5m for the former Inter Milan striker.

 

We're paying him too much.

[WhiskeyJar]

Just don't see the point in signing someone so clearly unstable and unpredictable. 

 

See "Luis Suarez" for more info.