In a twisted turn of fate, Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli is set for six-figure pay-out should he stay with Liverpool beyond this summer.
The Italian forward, according to the Guardian, took a 50% pay cut to join us last summer from AC Milan in a £16m transfer, but his agent Mino Raiola organised many performance and loyalty bonuses to bolster the contract.
One of them was the fee set to be paid come September 1st, when the transfer window shuts.
As the report claims, Balotelli is completely surplus to Anfield requirements, and has been frozen out of first-team training along with Fabio Borini and Jose Enrique. Liverpool are continually trying to find Balotelli a new club, but as of yet, the forward has turned down any offers presented to him.
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It would be unfair to criticise the Italian for accepting a payment on a contract that the club offered him, but surely it’s now in the best interests of both parties to part ways.
The striker has just turned 25-years-old, and it’s became clear that he’s not going to fulfil his potential at Anfield.
He’s not solely to blame for his Liverpool failure, but he’s certainly played a part, as stories of his recent training ground antics (via Daily Mail) suggest.