Barnsley have recently been linked with a shock move for former Liverpool and Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli.
The Yorkshire club is reported to have enquired about the Italian, who’s a free agent after his summer release by Italian outfit Brescia.
Now aged 30, Balotelli made his name with Inter Milan.
He was brought to Manchester City by Roberto Mancini ahead of the 2010/11 season and would spend two-and-a-half seasons at the Etihad.
He proved to be one of the Premier League’s most controversial, and talked about players of all time – we still reminisce about Balotelli today.
Speaking on the rumours, Sun journalist Alan Nixon has suggested that the move would ‘work’ for both club and player:
Mad as it sounds … it would actually work for him and the club. https://t.co/WDHDD1CZc7
— Alan Nixon (@reluctantnicko) November 18, 2020
From letting fireworks off in his own home, to appearing as the face of a firework safety campaign in the same week, to ‘why always me?’ Balotelli is a watchable player.
He revived his career with AC Milan after his City departure where he scored 26 Serie A goals in two-and-a-half seasons at the club.
It led to a Premier League return with Liverpool, but the Italian would score just once in 16 top-flight games.
READ: ‘He’s off it’ – Ex-Sunderland, Blackburn striker opens up on failed move to Warnock’s QPR
Since then he’s enjoyed a strong spell in France with Nice, with brief stops at Marseille and Brescia. Injury has proved to be a downfall in his latter career and after one season back in Italy, he’s now a free agent once more.
Should Balotelli head for Barnsley it might just be the strangest Championship transfer, but it would bring a lot of publicity to the club, and so it might just prove a masterstroke by the Tykes.
