West Ham United are allegedly monitoring the striker’s current situation at Nice.
West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini will surely be looking to bolster his ranks at the London Stadium this month, as he looks to guide his side to a top seven finish.
One particular area of concern for the Chilean will be his centre-forward department, with Marko Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez and Andy Carroll all being linked with moves away from east London.
One potential target for the Hammers is Mario Balotelli, according to Italian publication Tutto Mercato Web, but Pellegrini must avoid a move for the striker at all costs.
The Italian is a notorious hot-head, and he has proven time and time again that he is incredibly difficult to manage.
Balotelli is somewhat of an enigma. On his day he is unplayable, but far too often, his off-field antics distract from his ability on the pitch.
Pellegrini needs all hands on deck at West Ham, and bringing in someone like the former Manchester City and Liverpool front-man could really disrupt the current dynamic in the Hammers dressing room.
The Italy international would also command a huge salary – something that the east London outfit really could do without considering some of the extortionate wages that they already have on their books.
Balotelli has been told by Patrick Vieira that he will never play for Nice again, and that in itself is a damning indictment of the striker.
West Ham need to avoid the Italian like the plague. There are far better, more hard working, and cheaper players out there available…the Chilean just needs to find them.
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