Mario Balotelli is reportedly set to return back to England from Italy with a move for not a Premier League club but a Championship one.
Reports are claiming that he is has been in talks with Barnsley about making a sensational move to the South Yorkshire side.
It comes a month after media in his homeland said that he could potentially be about to sign for newly relegated Watford, who are now enduring life in the second tier of English football.
The 30-year-old striker has played for the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, also winning the Premier League, but now he currently plays for Brescia. He also stunned Germany quite some time back, don’t forget that celebration…
However it would seem he’s set for a return back to England, with Barnsley and Watford being mooted as possible destinations for the Italian, according to Calciomercato.
Barnsley currently sit 16th in the Championship table whilst Watford at flying high in second.
The Italian was offered to the Tykes when contact between Balotelli’s agent and Oakwell co-chairmen Chien Lee and Paul Conway was made recently.
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The forward has recently been released by Brescia who ended up getting relegated to Serie B last season.
Balotelli put the ball in the back of the net on just five occasions during his 19 appearances for the club as they dropped down from the Italian top flight.
He has endured a frustrating spell at Brescia, the club even updated his medical details on their official website to claim the striker was eight kilos overweight.
Balotelli was also refused entry into the training ground as sessions resumed following the lifting of coronavirus lockdown restrictions in Italy. He has not featured for the club since the 9th of March and looks to have already played his last game.
Fellow Italian outfit Genoa have also reportedly shown an interest in Balotelli while The Athletic have reported that a source close to the player refused to be drawn on Balotelli’s future.
Watford, who are now managed by Vladimir Ivić, have already signed Glenn Murray and Stipe Perica in attack this summer.
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His career has been shrouded in controversy while playing at Manchester City, he almost came to blows with-then manager Roberto Mancini.
Speaking on their encounter Mancini said: “I told him, if you played with me 10 years ago I would give you every day maybe one punch in your head.”
Also at City, he was involved in a car crash, writing off his £120,000 Audi R8 when he collided with a BMW.
Despite passing a breathalyser test, police did find £5,000 in cash on Balotelli.
When asked what he was doing with so much money on him, the Italian replied: “Because I’m rich.”
He also decided to set his bathrooms on fire with fireworks at 1am back in 2011, as you do. Balotelli scored twice the day after the fire at his house, whilst a party was ongoing.
Here’s the damage Mario Balotelli did to his £3m mansion when he let off fireworks indoors http://t.co/S7YZZ8fBbD pic.twitter.com/jVaXhwH58g
— Complex UK (@complex_uk) November 3, 2014
After scoring his first goal in a 6-1 victory at Old Trafford, Balotelli revealed his infamous, perfectly-captioned t-shirt with the slogan “Why always me?” Nothing could have been more apt at that moment in time.
At Inter Milan, he was accused by then-manager Jose Mourinho of not trying hard enough in training and had a number of disciplinary problems, with several senior players also criticising him.
After moving to Manchester City, Balotelli was punished for throwing darts at a youth player, had a number of fights with team-mates and was sent off four times in 17 months.
He told City’s website: “The newspapers for the story wrong about me and the fire at my house. I didn’t set any fireworks off, it was a friend of mine.
“I didn’t know anything about it until I heard shouting coming from the bathroom. Luckily, nobody was injured and my friend apologised for the damage to my house.
“It was a really stupid thing for him to do. Someone could have been really hurt and I was really, really angry with him about it.”
Regardless of who was to blame, firefighters needed breathing apparatus as they spent half an hour putting out the blaze, for which Balotelli was billed £400,000 by his landlord to cover repairs.
Fans reacted after seeing that Mario Balotelli set with a move to the Championship…
@benliddle1985 @Stevenwinder333 @westy110387 Christ!! That would’ve been something!?!
— James Lawton (@lawt11) November 17, 2020
Anytime ur in the championship, you will always struggle. That’s just a fact
— Jack Doona (@jackdoona) November 18, 2020
Come to Wednesday @Balloteli_45 you know you want to. We need a smoking hot Italian to bring back the glory years 💙🦉💙
— Tracy M (@TracyMI5) November 17, 2020
Heard he was coming to Coventry
— The Coventry King (@CoventryKing) November 17, 2020
Assumed it would be Birmingham…
— Ted Sparrey (@TedSparrey) November 17, 2020
I’d believe you more if you said derby county
— michael (@mlbchubbs) November 17, 2020
Be lucky to get on bench if he trains hard
— LeeH (@holl1703) November 17, 2020
No way hahah
— matthew (@d00little) November 17, 2020
Yeah barnsley have fallen hard
— Has (@LcfcHas) November 18, 2020
He can’t compete at the top clubs any more tbf.
Wouldn’t surprise me if he joined a club like Barnsley, Swansea, Man Utd or Derby tbh
— Peter (@blindshore) November 18, 2020
Balotelli trying to work out where Barnsley is pic.twitter.com/oz6liLe2Gz
— Bridgey (@bridgey1982) November 18, 2020
Got more chance of signing Mario from the local Pizza take away
— M̶C̶F̶C̶•̶S̶N̶K̶R̶S̶ (@1894BlueMoon_) November 18, 2020
As if 2020 couldn’t get any weirder.
— Rory Haczewski (@RoryHaczewski) November 18, 2020
SEE ALSO: Mario Balotelli linked with signing for a Championship club
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