da winzada777： Mario Balotelli’s somewhat surprise return to the Premier League last season was always going to be a move shrouded in media attention.
da dobrowin： Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool Football Club unfortunately had to bear witness to a rather disappointing output in the goal-scoring department last season, meaning the gamble on Balotelli has ultimately proven a risk that has so far dramatically failed to pay off.
It always seemed like a slightly questionable move in all honesty, for, although the 24-year-old front-man turned out to be a reasonable success with Manchester City, his overall lack of movement across the pitch and seemingly ridiculous relationship with the British media somewhat put the enigmatic Italian on a road to failure before he’d even kicked a ball.
However, as Newcastle certainly need to bolster their rather lean ranks ahead of the 2015/16 campaign, Steve McClaren has (Well, according to a slightly dubious source) set his sights on Liverpool’s out of form striker, with the hope of bringing the former Inter and AC Milan man to St. James’ next term on a season long loan deal.
With such an ambitious, yet potentially damaging, notion on board then – could Balotelli actually become a surprise hit among the Magpies faithful in 2015/16, or should Newcastle simply stay clear of this once promising, but now increasingly diminishing talent?
On the surface, this particular transfer rumour looks to be one that should never even get off the ground in the first place.
Balotelli himself would seemingly have little reason to join up with the Tynesiders next term, his wages would likely set the Newcastle owner, Mike Ashley, back a great deal this summer, and as for the fact that the current Liverpool striker only managed to register one solitary league goal last term, it remains unclear as to why Steve McClaren would even want someone like that on board anyway.
Throughout the 2014/15 season, Balotelli simply failed to do the business for Brendan Rodgers in every area of his game. Whilst it’s impossible to convey exactly what the player himself thought of his time at Anfield last term, the 24-year-old front-man looked completely disinterested.
His immobility up top, and seeming inability to get himself adequately involved on a week-to-week basis completely failed to justify the £16m Liverpool spent on acquiring his services last summer.
The former Manchester City striker also has an apparent destabilising affect off the pitch that Newcastle must consider if they really want to sign him this summer. As McClaren’s new side need to remain as tight as possible next term to avoid any further slips down the league table – Balotelli’s reputation hardly seems like the perfect antidote for the Magpies ahead of the new campaign, even if it does remain slightly exaggerated.
Having made such a negative case for the Italian forward though, it remains to be said that Balotelli still carries with him a certain degree of potential – despite last season’s overtly poor showings. Newcastle equally need a player to dramatically raise the spirits in and around St. James’ next term, and as the Italian certainly has to go down as a captivating character at the very least – perhaps the current Liverpool man does in-fact offer a certain something for Steve McClaren’s side after all.
At a club where he can play a more defining role in the squad as a regular first team starter, Balotelli could potentially thrive with the Magpies, as long as further off-field incidents don’t come back to haunt the ever-controversial figure of the modern game.
In addition, Newcastle wouldn’t have to pay a ridiculously inflated transfer fee to acquire the Italian’s services this summer, and as the player certainly has to prove himself ahead of Italy’s Euro 2016 campaign, maybe the reported decision to attempt to lure Balotelli to Tyneside next term is actually a rather shrewd one from the Magpies’ perspective.
With the name ‘Mario Balotelli’ seemingly always spelling trouble somewhere along the line, however, perhaps Newcastle’s resources would be best spent elsewhere this summer in order to steer clear from any further embarrassments for the club next season.
That said, the current Anfield striker still arguably represents something rather unique and special in today’s game, and if the centre-forward can somehow find some real consistency in front of goal next term, ‘Balo’ might just be able to turn around his fortunes throughout the 2015/16 campaign.
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