Wenger keen on talented young Italian striker.

Club America v Inter Milan

Mario Balotelli can’t find room at Inter and Arsene Wenger offers him a chance at Arsenal. “He can become one of the greatest.”
The Under-21 international has pace, power and technique in abundance, but his questionable attitude has seen him dropped by Jose Mourinho recently.

“I consider Inter an excellent squad who can do really well in the Champions League,” Wenger told the Italian media.

“In particular I am keeping an eye out for Balotelli, a player I like very much. In my view he can become one of the greatest.”

Balotelli was also offered a loan spell in the Premier League by Gianfranco Zola’s West Ham United over the summer.

The teenager is eager to climb into the senior squad in time for the World Cup, so he could well demand a transfer in January to have more playing time if matters do not improve.

Meanwhile, Wenger revealed he finds it difficult to face Serie A sides on the European stage, eliminating Roma last season in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

“I am glad we did not draw any Italians in the group phase, as your teams are always tactically astute and very difficult to beat.” (Channel 4 – Football Italia)

Teenager Mario Balotelli has had a tough time of it in the past two years at the San Siro. He has appeared to have run ins with Jose Mourinho and other high profile figures at the club and has also come in for some disgusting abuse from supporters who up and down the country have made him the target of their racist abuse.

There is no doubting the talent the rangy striker has but he is finding it hard to break through at the Italian champions and thus far this season has found his chances limited to a few appearances coming off the bench. I am not surprised that Arsene Wenger is interested in the Italian Under 21 international but Mourinho may not be so quick to let him leave and the youngster is valued in the region of £12m which may be a price that scares off the Gunners boss.

He is a player with a fiery temperament that has seen him come to blows on the field of play on a number of occasions but he has shown enough ability to be on the fringes of a full Italian national cap and I can see him being a bright star for the future and the player himself may feel that he may be better nurtured at a club like Arsenal so a deal could well be a possiblity. He’s a player I would personally love to see at the club and one who will surely be one of the big stars of the future.


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