Mario Balotelli left Liverpool to join Nice this summer.
Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has admitted that his side tried to buy Mario Balotelli before the Italian striker opted to trade Liverpool for Nice on deadline day, GianlucaDiMarzio report.
Balotelli joined Liverpool in the summer of 2014 but after struggling to make an impact at Anfield, he was shipped out on loan last season where he rejoined his former club AC Milan.
The italy international’s career has been on a downward spiral over the past two years, and it reached the stage this past summer where few clubs were willing to take a gamble on him.
He eventually left Liverpool to join Nice on a free transfer on deadline day, but not before Palermo attempted to bring him to Sicily in what could have been a potential club-record deal.
“Balotelli has great skills and is a big problem. It was worth it to try to sign him,” Zamparini admitted to GianlucaDiMarzio.
It remains to be seen how far Palermo got in terms of securing a deal for the controversial striker, though the player’s comments since suggests a move back to Italy was never in consideration.
“There were other successful clubs who wanted me but I need above all else to play this season. This season needs to be a good season. I don’t miss Italy at all. I would never return to Italy now and you should know why,” Balotelli told the Mirror.
Regardless of where he ended up, Liverpool supporters will no doubt feel a sense of relief knowing the Italian is no longer a part of the Anfield squad.
Balotelli joined the Reds as a replacement for Luis Suarez, yet he ultimately failed to live up to expectations and spent the majority of his short Liverpool career either on the bench or shipped out on loan.
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