What should Liverpool do with Mario Balotelli?
By Chris Jones
"You’ll never walk alone. A saying that has defined Liverpool football club."
A year after signing him, Liverpool fans are now hoping that talented yet intractable striker Mario Balotelli will walk right out of Anfield as soon as possible.
Only 11 months after completing the signing of the Italian, Liverpool are now exploring options to ship him out.
A year ago, as the transfer window was quickly coming to a close, Liverpool were desperately searching for a striker, and they thought they had got exactly what they were needing in Balotelli, who was then with Italian side AC Milan.
Brendan Rodgers in Liverpool sealed the $24 million deal to bring Balotelli to Anfield, and the faithful fans were torn in what they thought of the signing.
Some fans saw the transfer as a coup for Liverpool, and were excited to see what he could do for the club.
There was also a great deal of dissent surrounding Liverpool’s decision to sign the Italian striker. Some saw it as a “panic signing” as the transfer deadline neared, and fans also feared that Balotelli’s well-known poor work rate could lead to his transfer being a failure.
Those fears were realized throughout the 2014-15 Premier League campaign, as Balotelli only netted one goal in Premier League competition, and only four total.
Now, as the new season is about to commence, with additions like Belgian striker Christian Benteke, Liverpool are left with an abundance of strikers, also including Rickie Lambert, Fabio Borini, Divock Origi, Danny Ings, and the often injured Daniel Sturridge.
So what should Liverpool do with Balotelli?
When motivated, Balotelli has proven that he has the skills to be an incredible goal scoring threat, but motivation has been a problem throughout his professional career.
He scored 18 goals for AC Milan in the year before his transfer to Anfield, and scored 19 across all competitions for Manchester City in their 2011-12 Premier League championship campaign, so there is no doubt that he could be a great goal-scoring threat for Brendan Rodgers to have.
Before even contemplating getting rid of Balotelli, Liverpool would have to “test the waters” in the transfer market. So far, it has been incredibly tough to find a suitor willing to take on the Italian.
Serie A club Sampdoria have reportedly been in prelimary talks with Liverpool, but the Reds’ asking price of £7 has been a stumbling block. Even Italian third division squad Lupa Castelli has reportedly been keen on offering Balotelli an Anfield escape, but he rejected.
It seems like Liverpool are stuck with the enigmatic striker, so why not make the best of the situation?
With the likes of Benteke, Origi, and Sturridge, who will return a couple months into the season, Liverpool will need the likes of Mario Balotelli for some depth at the striker position. While Sturridge is still out, Balotelli could give Rodgers minutes while giving Benteke a rest, or could act as a replacement if the slightly injury-prone Belgian goes down.
When all strikers are healthy, Balotelli could be a great asset as a “super-sub”, and that is worth more than the low amount they are likely to get in any transfer.
Balotelli is not afraid to take shots, has proven he has the ability to score goals, and, when motivated, can strike fear into the hearts of defenders.
German national team manager Joachim Löw, who has seen Balotelli play against his team while he plays for Italy, described the striker to Bild as “just awesome,” and believes that “When he realizes his potential, he would probably not be able to be stopped by anyone.”
Balotelli’s struggles were not for a lack of trying, as he attempted 56 shots in 16 Premier League appearances, but he will probably have to work in a more collaborative role with the likes of Phillipe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, and other Liverpool attackers if he wants to be successful in Rodgers’ system.
Having the ability to take a guy with the potential and skill of Balotelli would be a huge asset for Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool as they go through the grueling season, which includes the Premier League, cup competitions, and the Europa League.
Unless Balotelli is being a cancer in the locker room, he is worth keeping.