Balotelli transfer talk quashed
Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli – linked with Arsenal – will not be leaving the San Siro to join the Gunners or any other club during the January transfer window, according to the club’s president.
The Italian striker has fallen out of favour with Inter boss Jose Mourinho and is rumoured to be the subject of a €30 million bid from the Londoners.
However, Nerazzurri president Massimo Moratti has slammed reports suggesting the 19-year-old will soon be leaving.
“Certainly Balotelli is not on the market and will not be on the market,” Moratti told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Balotelli has grown frustrated after being left out of Mourinho’s thinking for key matches, but Moratti is convinced the youngster will learn to restrain his feelings with experience.
“There is something to adjust between him, the team and the coach, his behaviour in particular, but this is due to age," he said.
“It’s nothing serious, but it takes a certain continuity in getting used to living together with your team-mates, the trainer and certain rules. I don’t believe it’s anything dramatic.
“We base this assumption on the ability of the player to understand things and Mourinho’s ability to make him grow up in such a way as to be useful to the club.”
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‘Super Mario’ has put forward his case for a regular first-team place with four goals and three assists in his 11 Serie A appearances so far this season.
Meanwhile, Balotelli’s agent and brother, Corrado, has also rubbished reports claiming his sibling will be departing the Italian champions, telling ANSA:
“Mario has a contract that does not expire until 2013 and he will not be moving away from Inter.”
Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.