This story is why you should flatly ignore betting odds when it comes to transfers!
Sky Bet have installed Everton as heavy 8/13 favourites to sign Mario Balotelli before September 3rd, thanks to a story by Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla which claims the Liverpool forward’s agent Mino Raiola has offered them a deal.
This may be the case, but we really cannot Everton taking the troubled Italian and his giant wages off our books!
They’ve already got Romelu Lukaku and it looks like the Belgian is staying at Goodison for another season, so buy purchasing, or even loaning Balotelli to sit on their bench could cause an issue. Besides, Liverpool players don’t directly join Everton. It hasn’t happened since Gary Ablett in 1992.
Throughout the summer Jurgen Klopp has made it abundantly clear that the forward is surplus to requirements and available, but with just over a week left of the window, no concrete suitors have emerged – with Serie A clubs not yet biting.
We’d urge Balotelli to lower his demands and head somewhere that offers him first-team football, even if it’s down the leagues.
He’s not going to Everton though. No way in a million!