Sassuolo Become Latest Club to Rule Out Move for Liverpool's Mario Balotelli

Published on: 23 August 2016

"?Italian Serie A side Sassuolo are the latest club to withdraw from the race to sign Liverpool's Mario Balotelli, leaving the player's future up in the air just days before the close of the transfer window.


Sassuolo chief executive Giovanni Carnevali has told RaiSport's Zona11pm radio show that Balotelli's agent, Mino Raiola, has offered Balotelli's services to the club in a bid to earn him first team football away from Merseyside. 


The former Milan and Manchester City striker does not feature in Reds' manager Jurgen Klopp's plans for the coming season.

But Sassuolo won't be taking the player on either, after Carnevali said: "Mina Raiola offered us Balotelli, but we refused."


Sassuolo are the latest club after Bologna to dismiss interest in Balotelli, after "?their Canadian chairman Joey Saputo claimed recently that the potential signing would be nothing more than a "marketing exercise".


He said: "You can't just go buying a player as a marketing exercise."


Saputo did, however, not entirely rule out making a move for the former Italy international, adding: "It's up to our sporting director and our coach. I leave it up to them to decide. We're aiming to do a little bit better this season than we did last season and we need to work bit by bit, which is what we are doing."


Balotelli spent last season on loan at AC Milan, after signing for Liverpool a year earlier and failing to make an impact at Anfield. Balotelli also failed to secure a permanent deal with the Rossoneri earlier this summer.

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